TS3 Late Night Fanfic - A Vampire Story
by Lupineborn
Summary: Sergei Dracula, a young man from Romania, has moved in Bridgeport to start anew with his troubled life, with his best friend on his side. There are lots of promising opportunities and unexpected occurences in that city, one of them being a powerful vampiress, Elvira Slayer. How is their relationship going to evolve? And how is it going to affect the other people in their lives?
1. Introduction

It's a rainy afternoon. The time is 5:57 pm. Sergei just received his luggage in the airplane station and now walks in a hurry towards the exit. It has been a long journey from his homeland, Romania, but he had been waiting patiently for it. The last months were tough on him after all the mess in his personal life back home, so he needed this change, this new start. After all, he would get to stay with his best pal - Logan - whom he had met in Bucharest. Logan was on a trip around Europe at the time, and in this short visit of his, he and Sergei had great hangouts together. It was not the bars and the poker nights that bound them together, though, but the fact that Logan's company actually turned Sergei's conservative and introvert lifestyle into something much more positive. At good and bad times (and there were a lot of bad times) Logan was always there. "So... time to move on with that shit," he thought. And what place is best that Bridgeport? His pal lived there, and the city seemed to promise great opportunities for jobs... and other stuff.

His phone rang. He picked it up. From the other end of the line, Logan's cheerful voice sounded.

"Heyyyy, Sergio, 'sup man? You here already?"  
"I told you not to call me that. Yes, I'm just getting in a cab and I'll be heading at your place soon."  
"Aw, come on SER-GEE-OH! You just arrived! Why so serious? You know, I've been bustin' my ass all day JUST to prepare the apartment for you!"  
"Well, ain't that an honour." He gave the address to the driver. "I will be there in half an hour, if I'm lucky. The weather here sucks."  
"Suits your mood!"

Logan hung up the phone before Sergei had the chance to respond. The cab driver took a glimpse of him through the car's mirror. "Bad day?" he asked. Sergei answered with a short mumbling and remained silent for the rest of the course, watching the rain drops hitting the glass of the window beside him.

After about 50 minutes, the cab pulled over outside the building that Logan resided in. Sergei paid the driver and got quickly out of the car, hurryingly taking his luggage and swearing at himself for not thinking of bringing an umbrella along. Logan was waiting for him by the entrance, bearing a mischievous face at the sight of his grumpy friend having a hard time with the rain. "Having fun, aren't we?" said Sergei in an intensively sarcastic tone.

"Let me help you with these," replied Logan, and picked up the one bag, out of his friend's hand. "How was the journey?" he asked, as they walked towards the elevator. Sergei answered: "Cheerful as hell. The old man next to me almost had a heart attack and the flight attendants were all over him. Apparently, he didn't take his pills and there was a fuss in the whole seat class about it."

They got in the elevator. Logan:

"What did you do?"  
"I was bored."

Logan stayed still for a couple of seconds, staring at him, then he looked frontwards.

"Man, what happened to you..."  
"What happened to me?"  
"You were always the... serious kinda guy, but now you're lame! And bitter!"

Sergei pierced him for a moment with his grey-blue eyes. Then looked down and spoke in a low tone. "I guess you are right..."  
They reached the fifth floor. The elevator door opened and Logan led his friend to his apartment. "Don't worry, buddy. You're here to change that!" Sergei responded with a smile. Entering the apartment, Logan took both bags from his friend's hands and placed them in a corner. "We'll have plenty of time for... makeovers. Now you go get your soaked clothes off before you destroy my floor." He paused. "That sounded weird."

Ignoring his friend's mood for humor, Sergei said "thanks" and headed to the bathroom. He looked at himself in the mirror and noticed the black circles under his eyes. He had not managed to sleep well in the last days, nor in the plane. For some reason, though, he didn't feel like it. "Must be the stress," he thought. "It will be alright..."  
He took off his dark, soaked clothes and entered the shower.

After the shower and taking care of some things to settle in, he finally got himself comfortable in the living room, almost collapsing on the couch, next to his friend. He remained there still, staring at the ceiling. All the stress and exhaustion were now taking their toll on him, his shoulders hurt by the luggage carrying and he felt like sinking in the nice (and mostly, DRY) soft, comfortable couch pillow. Logan had been ravaging a bowl of chips, placed on his lap and now was looking at his friend with a smirk on his face. "And the fortress fell," he said. Sergei snorted in sarcasm. He blindly dug his hand in Logan's bowl, grabbing a handful of chips, and brought it to his mouth. He devoured most of it in one clumsy attempt and some chips fell on him and on the couch. Logan, still with the smirk on his face, nodded in a silly way, saying "that's my man".

Still chewing, Sergei asked in his usual semi-serious tone: "So, what's the deal with this city?"  
"It's a madhouse. That Hemlock chick has been a pain in the ass for good."  
Sergei raised one eyebrow. "Who?"  
"You will get to know her, sooner or later. Can't really help it. It's a _small_ madhouse."  
"Alright... I was referring to the jobs thing but whatever."

Logan patted his friend on the shoulder. "You will find some hole to crawl in."

He tossed a beer can to Sergei. The tired young man caught it unwillingly. Logan continued:

"You might find some people here weird... pretty weird, I would say. Don't get me wrong, they are friendly and stuff, but creepy as hell. Maybe it's in the way they look at you. _Stare_ at you. As if you were some kind of Hogan's Deep-Fried Diner meal."  
"Oooh. I'm scared," said Sergei mockingly, looking at the TV. A chip was immediately thrown at him, struck his left cheek and fell. He looked at the mischievous blond. Logan changed his sitting position so he could face the poker-faced man better.

"For real, man. Well, most of the people here are, you know... kinda normal. But some fellas are creeps. And you can never meet up for coffee or something, they always have something to do in the day... good thing is, this city has tones of choices for an awesome night-out. It's as if the city _comes alive_ at night."  
"Well, I'm not surprised you live here," said Sergei, bringing the beer can closer to his lips with a half smile.  
"I should show you around, man. It's evening already and you can't miss tonight's _hotspots_! If you know what I mean!" he winks at Sergei. The latter held the beer can with both hands between his knees, looking at it. "I don't know. I am not really in the mood."  
"How's that different from your... normal mood? Come on, man, just like the good old times! You don't have to tire yourself, we'll just go out and see the place together, maybe introduce you to some people... what do you say?"  
"I... I don't-" Logan interrupted: "Who knows, you may find an employer too! Or some nice company. It's nothing bad, man. Instead of sitting on our asses in here, let's have this beer outside! Just you and me, if you want it that way. Eugi's is a small and nice place, just around the corner."  
Sergei spoke in a low tone but seemed that a part of him needed that. "Humm... alright."  
"SERGEI DRACULA, THAT'S MY MAN!" shouted Logan, jumping off the couch, nearly dropping his bowl of chips.

A few minutes later, they were getting ready. Sergei was dressed in his usual dark coloured style. A plain soft bluish black long-sleeved top, covered by a more intensive black coloured blazer, black jeans and black shoes of semi-casual style. He has putting on some perfume when he noticed Logan waiting for him at the doorstep. "Done already, princess?" with that smirk on his face. "Oh, shut up." Logan giggled. His dressing was simpler and more casual than his friend's, though he had that charmness of "the neat guy" (and his rich blond hair, sky-blue eyes and fine characteristics added much to that). While they were waiting for the elevator, some distant sounds of people talking had caught Sergei's attention. Logan commented: "There are some teens living next to us. Might get pretty loud at night." Sergei nodded and they got in the elevator.

When they got out of the building, Sergei felt the night's breeze brushing his face and hair, as if welcoming him in the new place. The rain had stopped about an hour and a half ago, and he could smell the humidity in the most refreshing way. Moisture didn't flatter the concrete city, it made it look kinda messy. For some strange reason though, in Sergei's mind it felt like it was the time that the place and the people woke up. There was a slight cheerfulness travelling in the wind, almost felt like the city was inviting him to explore it. The smell, the sounds, the people, seemed as if everything was waiting for nightfall, to start functioning as a most hospitable source of emotions. "I like this place" he said, with a peaceful smile. Logan responded impatiently: "And we're not even at the bar, yet!"**  
**


	2. The first touch

It had been two months since Sergei moved in with Logan. Despite the night-outs and the city's hasty pace in the daily routine, Sergei's life hasn't been quieter for months. It felt like vacation to him. In the short amount of time that he lived there, he got a part time job at Movie Cineplex, the city's theatre (not as an actor, of course). It wasn't anything promising, but it was fine for now. He always loved arts and he knew he would work on one or two such stuff in the near future. After all, he did know how to play the piano and a bit of violin. Until he could find what his real passion would be, he tried to get by in the best way he could. Despite his roomate's well-achieved whinning, he wanted to move in a home of his own. Not because he did not enjoy his friend's playful company, he loved that. He just felt that when he was alone, he could see and experience the wonders of this unpredictable new world with his own eyes. Eyes of body and mind as well. This place _did_ have something special. After all, he was always some kind of a loner.

"I'm back!"

Sergei slammed the door as he walked in the apartment in a quick pace. He threw the keys on the end table and they produced a loud clanking sound as they landed on the surface. Logan was sleeping in his room and the noise woke him up in a not so pleasing way. Sergei's voice kept coming from the living room as he was talking, ringing annoyingly in the young man's ears. He mumbled something and rolled over his remarkably messy bed to catch his phone. "Is it noon already?" he said. Sergei entered the room and paused for a moment.

"What the hell were you doing last night?" he asked, as he moved towards the window.  
"Oh, you know... stuff..." said Logan, as he unwillingly ran his fingers through his messy blonde hair.  
"You were at that watering hole again, weren't you? Don't you ever work?" said Sergei, as he slid aside the curtains and fully opened the window.  
"I... _do_ work. I am picking up ideas for my next song." He looked at Sergei with half closed eyes. "Where were _you_?"  
"Well... while you were busy picking up _ideas_, I took the chance of walking in the neighbourhood and taking a look of the buildings in night scene."

He violently raised up the exterior blind, letting all the sunlight attack his friend's sleepy eyes. Logan protested with a growl. Then, he finally took the decision to get up.

"I'm trying to have some fun with my bud and you're out there, looking for places to move out. You're breaking my heart, bro."

Sergei chuckled and spoke as he walked out of the room, heading to the kitchen.

"You know that's not the case. I'm just tired of being a burden to you, so I'm gonna do us both some good and get my life here in a proper order."

Logan dragged his steps as he followed him and responded boringly. "Gosh, who's gonna do my laundry?" He poured himself some coffee in a kinky-patterned mug. Sergei took a seat at the dining table and opened the newspaper that was already there. He seemed to have colour-marked some options in the listings of apartments with affordable rent. Logan took a sip of his coffee and his face expression twisted in disgust.

"This is cold."  
"It's noon," replied Sergei, still looking at the newspaper.  
"Suits your temperature," said Logan mockingly while emtying the mug in the sink.  
"Seems it has succeeded in waking you up."

He paused for a moment. "Here. This apartment looks good. Might take a look on the inside tomorrow." Logan walks past Sergei, leaning over him and the newspaper for a second and continues to the living room, leaving an indifferent "uh-huh" on the way. "I'm ordering burritos."

The next hours passed by peacefully in the apartment. After devouring a considerable portion of burritos, they melted on the couch and had one of their odd silly (and at the same time, strangely philosophical) talks. Now, the day was gradually leaving, making room for the night and its seductive wonders. Logan was sitting on the couch in a slacky position while gracefully pulling his guitar's strings, as Sergei was slightly moving his head to the music's rhythm. At some point, Logan slowed down the pace and looked at his friend with bored eyes.

"Wanna hang out?"  
"Sure. Where to, this time?"  
Logan petted his light goatee. "We could try something different. And more classy. Your kind of taste."  
Sergei lifted an eye brow and nodded in eager confirmation. "Banzai Lounge?"  
"Nah... _too_ classy. And expensive."  
"What about Plasma 501?"  
Logan looked surprised. "Really?" His lips curled into a half smile. "That's where the creeps go."  
"Good. We'll get to meet some interesting people, at last."  
Logan put the guitar aside and leaned frontwards. "Yeah... why not? I never got to check that place out. A friend of mine says it's creepy _and_ classy. The gothic kinda thing. Who knows, maybe we get us some metalgirls, nice and easy... eager to do new, _weird_ things." He smirked.  
"...eager to turn you down in new, _weird_ ways." Logan threw a pillow at him as Sergei laughed.

Plasma 501 it is, then. They dressed up in a less casual way than they usually did. Sergei was overall dressed in black, although there was a nice material variety in his fine set. The most noticeable thing was his black velvet coat, with silver buttons decorating it. It followed handsomely the line of his nice-shaped body, in a discreet way of course. He wore a fine black linen shirt with deep red hints, a matching black pair of pants and black shoes. In addition to his plain black hair and his light skin, his appearance resulted in a fine dark style, fitting to the occasion of this hangout.

Logan didn't own any notable classy clothing, he only had one suit for formal occasions. He chose to lean more on his own dark style and put on a black long-sleeved top with the pattern of a gothic band on it, a black leather jacket, dark blue jeans with a silver chain on the belt, and semi-casual black shoes. Fixing his sleeve buttons, Sergei asked: "So, are we taking a cab?"  
Logan answered while quickly combing his hair. "Of course we are! That place is almost on the other edge of the city!"  
"Is it going to take long? I don't want to miss the good part."  
"Relax. It's actually kinda early. That place gets crowded mostly at midnight."  
"I am not crazy about crowds. I was referring to the cocktail happy hour." Smirks at Logan. The blond responds with a sarcastic face.  
They got in a cab. Time passed quickly as they joked about the possible turnouts of the evening, with silly and kinky assumptions.

When they finally got there, a rush of exciteful emotions took place. Sergei slowly got out of the cab, his eyes fixed on the impressive large building as Logan stood by him in awe. Before them stood a magnificent construction of fine architecture, the highest skyscraper in the city, its exterior was mostly lined in whites and blues, and it was almost as brightful as a Las Vegas club. "AWESOME" growled Logan. As they approached, they noticed a couple getting in. Both the man and the woman were dressed in a rather dark and eccentric way. They followed. The building was pretty high and contained many floors, and the club was on the top. It was their first time there, so they followed the patrons' lead to the elevator. The club's entrance seemed to be guarded by a bold, pale man with some considerable amount of muscle on him. He was dressed in leathers and chains, and had a lot of piercings on his face. At first sight, someone would say it was a VIP place, but the tough-looking bouncer didn't seem to bother when Sergei and Logan walked in, along with the couple.

The club's interior was even more breath-taking than the exterior. Everything was constructed and decorated in a heavy gothic style, deep reds, blacks and maybe purples in impressive and complex patterns reigning over the floors, the walls and the furniture. The lighting was medium and smooth on the eye, mostly in red colours. There was a dance floor, and next to it was a stage with musical instruments placed on it. On the other side of this lounge were a few tables and some well-placed velvet couches which added prestige to the splendid ensemble. The place was not crowded but its eccentric customers spread a most intense feeling in the room. Some were dancing to the dark tones that filled the club while others were standing further with their drinks in hand, talking. There was a marvellous series of red stairs that led to the upper floor, where the bar was. As the two friends were going upstairs, it felt as if the whole club was staring at them. Not in a charming way, of course, more like the "look at the newcomers" one. Just as a hunter spots its prey. Logan noticed a young gothlike-dressed woman with light skin as she stared at him with the corner of her piercing orchid-coloured eyes and a half smile, bringing her Bloody Mary to her lips. This short eye-to-eye contact came so intense on him, he almost missed his step while going up the stairs. Sergei leaned closer and whispered: "Let's go to the bar first".

The upper floor was quieter, more suitable for spending time with a special companion. The lighting was even smoother and it matched well with the blood-red floor and the purple patterned walls. Above the stairs was no floor, allowing some visibility between the floors, the space being at the middle of the room in a square shape, the edges being lined with red bars. On each corner of the room were placed small tables with two black armchairs, and a set of one chess table and two fine chairs was placed beside one wall. There was also a double door that led to the balcony around the room, offering the significant night view of the whole city as well as an extra romantic option for those who wanted to stargaze on a comfortable couch. The two friends took a seat on the counter as the barwoman was working on a what-seemed-to-be complex cocktail of black colour. "Be right with you, boys," she said, as she headed on the other edge of the counter, a wave of her strong perfume passing over Sergei and Logan. She was dressed in a dark and provocative style. Logan looked at Sergei with a grin on his face, clearly ready to burst with enthusiasm. "This is the real thing, dude! Why didn't we come here before?"

Sergei smiled as he checked the room out. "Because this place is full of _creeps_." Logan chuckled as the barwoman returned and placed her hands openly on the counter, slightly leaning frontwards. "What should I get you two?"

Still looking at the drinks menu, Sergei responded: "Hmm... this... Deathflower Drops drink, is it strong? I wouldn't fancy having to drag myself on the stairs."  
"It depends. It's strong enough to put a smile on your serious pretty face. If you have too much, though, it might work the other way around." She winked at him. "What about you, handsome?" she said playfully to Logan.

Caught staring at the revealing parts of her off-shoulder neckline that led down to her breasts, he immediately responded, misspelling one or two words on the first try. "I'll have the same, please!"  
She smiled mischievously at him, saying in a low voice "whatever pleases you" and started preparing the drinks. Logan happily stared at her while she did so, then turned to his friend and whispered: "What did you order?"  
Sergei patted him on the shoulder, smiling. The next hour passed pleasantly, as they got familiar with some people. Some of them were acquaintances of other night-outs, while others eagerly joined in their conversations. It felt that the people there were very friendly, in an odd and charming way.

At some point, Logan was flirting with the girl he had glimpsed while going upstairs. They got along pretty well during the evening, as they slighly danced to the music. Suddenly, a familiar figure caught his eye in the crowd. He eyed that person and her company for some seconds, then excused himself to the girl and caught up with Sergei who was near, talking with another patron.

"Dude! Do you see that woman? That one over there! Tall, brunette, fit, wearing that mini-shirt and fishnet stockings!" said Logan in a low -yet excited- voice, trying to lead his friend to the correct direction, without directly pointing out with his hand.  
"Oh, yes... what about her?" said Sergei, narrowing his eyes to get a better look of the target.  
"She's the Hemlock chick! That insane freak! Gosh, one time we were waiting on a line and her daughter asked me about my strawberry flavored donut! I was about to let her have an innocent bite, and then her mother... she just freaked out! She even threatened to call security on me! Everyone was looking at me as if I was a molester!"  
"Strange... with your brains, it would be more appropriate to pass for her kindergarten classmate."  
"Oh, shut up. I just warned you, man, careful with that chick... don't want her to spoil our good time here!" said the blond, as he headed back to his smiling companion.  
Sergei chuckled a bit, then stood and watched the so-called _freak_ as she talked to the others that came with her. In her hangout group seemed to be other two people. A bold and well-shaped man with dark skin. He wore dark clothing that also allowed him to show off his muscles. Then, there was this woman. This gorgeous, gorgeous woman. Wait. What?

He paused that moment. Took the time to focus on eyeing her as best as he could. It was effortless, really. She was a very well-shaped woman, all the aspects of her strong body were stunning. Her beautiful skin was pale but not dull, even slightly lucent. Her dark hair was finely furled, giving her a high-classy look. Her expensive and well-designed short dress lined her perfect body in a classy and also provocative way, flattering her best aspects. It was black and discreetly shiny, with an asymmetric neckline that gracefully revealed her beautiful neck and left shoulder. Her (very fine) thighs and legs were covered by a pair of stay-up stockings with a classy design on the lace tops, incredibly adding to her sensual appearance. Her black shoes bore high heels and were remarkably fine-designed. Her jewels decorated the whole package impressively. This stunningly fine and sensual style bound perfectly with her physical attributes, her attractive feminine face indicated a fine grown woman that knew exactly how to enhance and use her vibrating charmness. Sergei was especially intrigued in her dazing carmine lips and... her eyes. Those eyes, beautiful and astonishing both in shape and colour. It was strange to see a woman with red eyes, but Sergei's guess was that contact lenses were not something uncommon amongst the patrons of that club. It didn't matter. He had to get closer, to take a better look at those eyes.

As people danced around him, he got slightly moved from his place and his dreamy pause ended. He wanted to go and talk to that woman, then he realized he didn't know anything about her, nor was he familiar with her friends. He didn't want to go "fish" in the open, that wasn't his style. After all, that man of the group might be her boyfriend.

He turned to find Logan, who was now getting closer with his charming young company. "May I borrow him for a second?" he said, smiling, as he gently pulled Logan further. Logan looked upset.

"What the hell, man? Are you blind? I've got something going on here!"  
"And I've got something going on _there,_" said Sergei, indicating the group with his eyes.  
"The Hemlock chick? You nuts?" asked Logan, bearing a shocked and unpleasantly surprised face.  
"Not her. The other one. The _goddess_."

Logan turned slowly to look at him, now slightly shocked and amused.

"Really? Her? Dude. You set the bar too high. No offence, you know I would gladly help you have a good time, but... her? She's out of your league. She's out of _everyone's_ league in this place."  
"First... it's not about having a good time. I just want to meet her. I _have_ to meet her. You live here longer than I do. Do you know anything about her?"  
Logan paused for some moments, folded his arms and took a good look at her, slightly leaning his head on the side. "I have seen her before, though I know very little of her. I know she is a good friend of the Hemlock freak. They hang out together, most of the times. This bulky guy next to her is a pal of theirs too. Don't think he's dating her, though."  
"Good... in your opinion, what would be the best way to approach her?"  
"Pray."

Sergei looked at Logan with a dead serious face and Logan giggled. He patted Sergei on the shoulder as he started to head back to his companion.

"Just be yourself, man. It's all gonna come to that anyway. Go buy her a drink or something."

Sergei took his drink and walked towards the group, greeting a few people on the way. He stood somewhere he could have a full view of the three. The "Hemlock chick" and the gorgeous woman were sitting on the armchairs across each other, talking and laughing, while the man stood beside the latter as he followed their conversation. At some point, he turned to look at Sergei and, the introvert young man turned away. He looked back and saw the man discreetly saying something that caused the two women turn their gaze upon Sergei. He acted cool, looked at the woman for a moment, then away again. "Stupid me," he thought, "why am I acting like a child?"

He stood there, waiting for the woman to miraculously come his way, or to be left alone. An idiotic and ineffective way of approach for a man, but the thought of going there and talk to her in her company's presence was suffocating. He wasn't good at such stuff anyway. What could he do? He raised his gaze from his drink and his eyes met with the woman's. An electrifying sensation passed through him in a wave, however he didn't cower up. He kept staring at her and the seconds passed by like years. He had not felt like that before. Not that he was ever experienced in the whole womanizing thing.

Suddenly, he realized that the woman was actually staring back at him. The electrifying sensations were rapidly multiplying in him, his heartbeat rate quickened and she seemed to be aware of this, as her lips gradually formed a charming and non-innocent half smile. She was actually piercing him with her eyes. Her eyes. Now he could see them clearly. They were glowing red, red like the brightest fires of hell. The sensations in him escalated in an intensive nervousness, which he eagerly welcomed. Now full-smiling, the woman charmingly turned her gaze to Hemlock and chatted. Sergei looked again at the man. After a while, the two women got up from their seats and started walking towards the crowd. The man remained at the table, chatting with another patron.

Sergei didn't move from his position. He turned and looked at Logan, who was making out with his companion. He then waited for the women to catch a stable spot in the dance floor. They moved through the crowd as they greeted almost every person they met. Many men seemed to compliment them, especially the gorgeous one. She seemed to reply politely, then turn to Hemlock again. Sergei closed in. His gaze met up with Logan's. He indicated the two women and Logan took a crazed and amused face, his lips forming the words "well done". Sergei responded with a helpless face and Logan got it. He was going to help his friend. The blond took his companion by the hand and walked towards Hemlock. Sergei was puzzled.

"My, my, if it isn't lovely Mrs. Hemlock! Long time no see!" Logan said vividly to the annoyed brunette. "How's life?"  
"Good, until you greeted me," she responded, smiling ironically. Logan forced a laugh and acted cheerful. He laid his arm on her shoulders, which she unwillingly accepted, and he indicated the other woman.  
"How rude of us not to introduce our friends! I didn't catch your name, miss," he said to the woman, bearing a warm smile.  
"That's because she _didn't_ give it to you." said Hemlock, more aggressively this time. The gorgeous woman spoke.  
"Indeed, I don't believe I have. You may call me Elvira," she said with a charming smile, reaching out for his hand. Logan shook it gently, replying: "It's my pleasure. This is Alice..." he pointed out his companion "...and that guy over there is my best friend. Sergei! Come over here!"

Sergei looked at him nervously, then walked towards them. First, he greeted Hemlock. She eyed him, head to toes, then she shook his hand firmly.

"Morrigan Hemlock. Nice to meet you."  
"Sergei Dracula. Nice to meet you too," he said, smiling politely. Morrigan turned to Elvira. "Well, ain't that a hell of a name," the former commented.

Elvira turned to Sergei. He slightly smiled, looking deep in her eyes. She reached her hand out, saying:

"A pleasure to meet you."

Sergei gently took her hand and lightly kissed it on the back, like a gentleman.

"The pleasure is all mine."

They stared smilingly at each other for a moment, as if they were alone. Logan coughed. Elvira pointed to their table, where the dark-skinned man was.

"There sits our friend, William Fangmann. You could join us, if you would."

Morrigan looked at her with an unpleased expression, as if saying "seriously?"  
Logan caught that and loudly cheered:

"Why, of course we would! How could anyone deny a beautiful woman's company?" he turned to Alice "..that goes for my friend, babe." She gave him a sucking kiss.

The next minutes passed by nice and friendly. The group shared two small tables and one large circular couch. The two friends blended nicely in, there was fun, Logan and Morrigan kept nailing each other with spicy comments, though there was no misunderstanding or awkwardness. Through the conversation, some information was aquired. Elvira was a doctor, working on the gene therapy field. She said it's not as impressive as it sounds but Sergei was hanging from her every word. Her alluring, deep, feminine voice gave him more excuses to ask her about her life. At some point, Sergei sat next to Elvira.

"Well, hello there," she said warmly, in her charming smile.  
"Hey. Are you comfortable? This couch is quite crowded."  
"Not a _people_ person, are you?" she said, as she eyed him down and met his eyes again, widening her smile.  
"Depends on the people," he responded, looking at his drink, then fixed his gaze on her. She asked then:  
"So... Romania? An interesting place." She lighted a cigarette.  
"Have you ever been there?" he said, then he took a sip of his drink.  
"Yes, once. I went to a conference in Bucharest. I got to enjoy some of the land's beauties too," she replied, puffing out the cigarette's smoke. She pointed the pack to him. He politely waved it off, stating that he doesn't smoke. Then, she continued:  
"How do you find the city? Is it too crowded for you?" she said teasingly. His face blushed as he looked down, shyly smiling.  
"It's fine. Definately better than where I was," he replied, looking to the front and taking another sip.  
"Oh? I wonder why is that," she said, then smoked again and puffed out, talking. "...I found Bucharest a fine place."  
"It wasn't the place." He turned to meet her eyes. "It was the people."  
"That sums it up," she said. "Well, there are no angels here either, if that's what's you're looking for." He widened his smile.  
"It isn't. I know what I'm looking for, now," he replied, as he eyed her up and down. She formed a surprised half smile.  
"That is a bold statement," she said, then smoked and as she puffed out, she snuffed the cigarette out.

Morrigan called to Elvira. She was about to leave, having plans with her husband later in the night. She said her goodbyes to each person of the group. Logan stood up to reach her.

"It was fun. We should do it again sometime!" he said, as he shook her hand playfully.  
"I'd rather have myself getting tanned under the sun, on a hot hellish day," she said with that familiar sarcastic smile of hers. Logan's face took the "wtf" expession, and remained that way for some seconds afterwards.  
Morrigan gave a friendly hug to Elvira, whispering in her ear to tell her all about it, should the night end with Sergei in her bed. Elvira chuckled and avoided replying to that.

The rest of the hangout time passed by smoothly. Some time after Morrigan's leaving, more patrons left. Eventually only the group remained, and another two or three people. It was nearly closure time for the club, so the group disbanded. Logan indicated to Sergei to ask for Elvira's phone number. For some reason though, it didn't feel right for Sergei. He didn't want this to be another meeting that ended up in a plain exchange of numbers and then everything would lose its magic and turn to usual dating. After all, Elvira confirmed that she would be at the annual event for Bridgeport's foundation anniversary. That was in three days. Elvira and William left to continue their night-out somewhere else, while Logan left with Alice, heading to her place. Sergei took a cab and thought about her the whole time.

Back home, as he lied down on his bed, he thought of every single detail that led to this unexpectingly pleasing night. He felt lucky to have met her. Even though he only knew her for some hours and she was probably used to have lots of men flirting desperately with her on every hangout, the rush of that special moment's emotions raged in him. He played a flashback of this night's most electrifying memories, slowly cherishing them, like enjoying a sip of good wine. Her eyes... her lips. Her neck. Her desirable body. Her perfect skin. Her voice. Her perfume. _Her perfume_...

Desire. Such a superficial thing. So sweet, though. What a woman. What a creature. God... he wanted so much to be in that bed with her. Not in the cheap, shallow way that most people would. Her being there would just be _so_ much better than... her _not_ being there.  
The last thing that occured in his memories was their seperation.

_"The event will be held at Bridgeport Acres. I'm gonna be there around 7:00 pm," said Sergei, hoping Elvira's schedule wouldn't give him a hard time meeting her.  
"We will be there at eight. If you're lucky, you'll find me in all that crowd." He looked at her with a startled face. She continued: "We will be right by the swings," she said, smiling mischievously.  
"I shall find you there then," he said with a slight smile. "It was nice, meeting you tonight."  
Walking by him, she said in a low tone "yes, it was," as she shortly placed her hand on his arm. Then she left._


	3. On pins and needles

It was Saturday morning. Sergei had barely slept after that special night-out with his friend. He couldn't help thinking about Elvira. He closed his eyes and attempted to let the beautiful emotions carry him away in a sweet and dreamful sleep, though his longing to meet her again kept him wide awake. He just wriggled in bed all night. At some point, he took a look at the clock on the bedside table and it was already 6:56 am. "It's useless," he thought. He got up nervously and walked to the kitchen while messing up with his hair. The dawn would provide a smooth lighting in the apartment, escaping from the spaces of the partially closed window blinds. He opened the fridge door and grabbed the milk. Closing it, he noticed that Logan's room door was open, just as he left it when they went to the club. He was still at Alice's. "At least, one of us is not sleeping alone," he thought.

He opened the cupboard and his gaze fell upon Logan's favorite kinky-patterned mug. He smiled and took it. He filled it with milk and quickly put the bottle back in the fridge. He thought of Elvira's lips, as he was bringing the mug to his own. In his mind's scene, he closed in more and more on the perfect carmine colour that decorated that fleshy pair, which was about to welcome the closing cigarette that she held.

In a flash of memory, her lips formed a slight smile that revealed a small part of her perfect teeth, amongst them being a noticeably _sharp_ one. In that moment, he spat the milk he had only just tasted. Its awful, expired-like taste seemed to have struck him the very moment he made that odd realization. He had leaned frontwards while doing so, and he remained still in that position, holding the dripping mug, and a shocked and estranged face took place for quite some seconds. Then, the wet sensation of cold milk on his naked feet shook him from his stun-like state. He looked at the mess and puffed out in irritation.

As he was cleaning up, he wondered about that flash that struck him. He was a fan of fantasy and supernatural stuff, but that went too far. In the end, he concluded that several factors as the alcohol consuming, the club's eccentric gothic style and the lack of sleep caused his mind to imagine things. Or maybe, Elvira had a special denture and he just exaggerated.

After taking care of everything, he thought of going back to bed, though he didn't really feel like sleeping. His body and brain were tired, though the tension that took over him before wouldn't let him relax. He laid down on the couch and turned on the TV in a low volume, hoping that he would eventually drift into at least a few hours of sleep.

He woke up to the sound (and the smell) of frying oil. As his senses came to him, he found that his naked torso had been sweating and protesting to the increased temperature in the room. The TV was playing a different channel. He unwillingly got up slowly and tasted his dry lips. An intensively annoying pulse was pounding in his head. Logan's cheerful voice rang like a disfunctional whistling tea kettle in his ears.

"Sleeping beauty's up! A miracle! Couldn't resist to my legendary snitchel, could ya?"

Sergei looked towards the kitchen with a tired face. It felt as if he had been asleep for half a century. He slowly headed to the kitchen, lightly rubbed his face and asked in a low tone: "What time is it?"

Logan replied mischievously: "Half past two! My early bird slept till _noon_! I am so proud of you...!" he said, then he patted Sergei hard on the back. Sergei froze for a moment, staring blankly at some random direction. Logan took a teasing troll face with a wide grin.

"You missed work, eh?"  
"Yup." replied Sergei, still in that posture.  
"Are you gonna call them?" asked Logan, with the same grin.  
"Nope."  
"Wanna help me with the fries?"  
"Yup."

Logan chuckled as he went back to frying. After taking a short shower, Sergei helped his friend with preparing the food.

"So, how was last night?" asked the raven-haired man. Logan smirked.  
"I'm gonna meet her again," responded the blond, following playful dancy moves.  
"...that says it all," said Sergei as he grinned. "Well, can't say that my night was so pleasant."  
"Did Her Vampireness give you a _hard_ time?" asked Logan in a most mischievous tone, "...see what I did there?"  
"Oh, shut up," said Sergei as he placed the fries on a large plate. Logan giggled, then continued. "Told ya, man. You should've given her your number. You could hope to see her tonight. Now you have to wait till Monday!"

Sergei rolled his eyes sarcastically, then wiped his hands with a towel and sat on the dining table. He leaned forward and placed his elbows on the surface, covering his forehead with his hands. "Well, you know me."

"Indeed I do," said Logan warmly, as he joined him at the table. "You're the best guy, man, I'll give you that. It's just that you always do things the hard way. But that's just you. I respect that." Sergei turned his gaze on his friend, meeting warm eyes. Then he smiled. Logan placed his hand on Sergei's shoulder. "And I promise to hold your hand when you cross the street." Sergei slapped the blond's nape as the latter burst in laughter.

As they took lunch, Logan asked: "So, what are you gonna do about the 'moving in' thing? Now that you left that job... isn't it gonna take some time?" He took a large bite of his snitchel.  
"I suppose it can wait," replied Sergei with a low gaze, his fork exploring his food.  
"Do you have a plan?" asked Logan, barely making sense as he chewed hard.  
"We'll see. I haven't saved a lot of money but they should keep me going for a while, until I find a new job. I wasn't crazy about the previous one anyway." He stuffed his mouth with some fries.  
"Why don't we form a band?" asked Logan as his eyes sparkled with excitement.  
"A band? The two of us? It's one thing to jam together, but forming a band..."  
"We'll find others! Well, just think about it. No pressure."  
"Eh... we'll see."

The rest of their day passed by with no special occurences. The evening, however, was quite interesting. The two friends went to their usual hangout spot, Eugi's. It was a bar with a cheap and friendly environment, it's woodly constructed and decorated style was that of an Irish pub. Along with the tables and couches, it contained a shuffleboard and a stand-up arcade cabinet. The bar counter was facing the entrance and, deeper in the room was a stage with instruments and a small dance floor before it. It was Saturday night, so several patrons would get to give their own musical performance, maybe trying to show up some skills. At some point, Sergei and Logan agreed to jam together, gradually "setting the place on fire". Sergei's piano skills could only be matched by Logan's magic fingers as he played the guitar. They played till the bar's closure, and the patrons seemed to enjoy every bit of it, along with quite some beer consumption of course. The owner of the bar was impressed that night, and now the two virtuosos had a new job. There would be organized musical events, held on certain evenings of each week and they would be the ones to perform during them.  
They got home cheering as if they won the lottery.

Sunday passed by quietly. To Logan, it was a simple day with hints of fun, as he spent the night at Alice's again. To Sergei, every minute seemed like an hour. He just wanted to meet Elvira again. As he was getting closer to that time, he felt the weight of the world heavy on his shoulders. He read some book so that his mind would drift away from these thoughts but he couldn't really help it.

He woke up early on the next day. He couldn't really sleep any more. He dreamt of today's meeting with his muse of passion. After a while, he got up and decided to take a morning walk in the city, to breathe some air. Maybe that would help him relax a little. He grabbed a morning snack as he hurryingly dressed up, then got out of the building in quick steps. He got a coffee on the go. As he was getting into the deeper parts of the city, he fell onto larger crowds and louder noise. Most people walked in a hurry, probably going to work. It was Monday morning after all. The city wasn't that large in general, but it was for sure densely constructed. Despite living here for just a little longer than two months, Sergei was still not entirely used to that pace. For some reason, though, he found the energy of the city positively stimulating. He felt like exploring the city's old stores, so he made his way to a small passage which led to a somehow hidden area.

The ground was paved in that place, the buildings were older than the constructed majority of the city and they vented a special beauty. It was a little crowded but, for some reason, not loud. People apparently paid some kind of respect for what seemed to be a place untouched by the modern changes of the rest of the city. Sergei was walking slowly with his hands in the coat's pockets, observing the place and bearing hints of awe on his face.

At some point, he walked by a shop which its window caught his eye. He closed in to check on the merchandise better. It contained all kinds of old trinkets, jewelry, small decorative stuff, odds and ends etc. His gaze fell upon a specific piece. It was a brooch of gothic style. A very beautiful brooch. It had a stone of oval shape and black-and-ruby colour with small metallic patterns around it. A small black ribbon was tied on the back. The moment he saw it, he thought of Elvira. He immediately wanted to get it for her. Wait. He only met her once. Isn't it a little too soon for gifts? Yes it was, but it would be such a shame to avoid that beautiful piece. It would look great on her, it was as if someone made it especially for that woman. He decided to get it and then see if he eventually gave it to her. Someday, maybe. You can never know. He liked to think that things would work out between them. Surprisingly, it wasn't as expensive as he expected. It was put in a beautiful tiny box with a velvet wine-coloured surface. Sergei held it open for a while and looked at it with delight, as soon as he walked out of the shop.

The hours passed quickly. Returning home, he found Logan eating pizza on the couch, feet resting on the low table. There was also an open pizza box of medium size, most of it having been emptied. There was another one below it, sealed and warm. Logan turned to Sergei with a mouthful of the slice he was savagely devouring and nodded at him. Then, he turned his attention back on the TV, which seemed to play a silly comedy series. Sergei let out a "hey" and took off his coat, as he walked to his room. After a while, he returned casually dressed and sat on the couch, taking the other pizza box. "What do we have here?"  
Logan struggled to swallow the large amount of food in his mouth, then replied.

"Sorry man, I ate all the fungi pizza. It's my favorite, after all." He grinned widely.  
"No need to be," said Sergei as he opened the second box. "I'm not crazy about it anyway. Is this one a margherita?"  
"Yep. All yours. I know what my pal likes to stuff his belly with." He let out a loud belch. Sergei looked at him with a "can't be helped" face, as the blond giggled. "Thanks for ordering for me too," said Sergei, then grabbed a slice.  
"So... it's the big day, today," said Logan, mischievously moving his eyebrows up and down.  
"Yup."  
"Any _plans_ for tonight?"  
"Getting her number this time." Logan burst in a wave of laughter.  
"I knew it! No more of that _Romeo and Juliet_ crap!" Sergei grinned. Logan continued:  
"So, what time are we gonna get there? She said she would arrive at eight but what if it gets too crowded?"  
"We'll go sooner," responded Sergei, eyes fixed on the TV. "Are you going to bring Alice too?"  
"Gee, I don't know," answered Logan, his voice lacking its usual energy. "Still not sure about our thing. I mean, I like her, but I only met her twice and we're having fun. Don't wanna get into the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff yet. We'll see."  
"Suit yourself."  
"Well, not everyone jumps into the relation-shit right away! Bet you're gonna bring flowers to that chick already!"  
Sergei smiles as he looks at the TV. "I've got something on my mind..."


	4. Walking with strangers

6:35 pm. Sergei nervously fixes his onyx-coloured jacket in front of the mirror. Logan is next to him, using some hair gel to tame his rich blonde hair. As Sergei's moves grow noticeably clumsier, he accidentaly pushes a small bottle of aftershave and it loudly crashes, shattering across the floor. Sergei swears in protest, immediately lowering his body and picking up the pieces. Logan burst in laughter.

"Dude, that was epic. Elvira has gotten into someone's head for good," said mischievously the blond, bearing a smirk on his face. Sergei didn't seem to keep up with his friend's humouring.  
"Can't you just help already?" He spoke intensely and gave Logan a piercing look. He kept carelessly picking up the pieces until one of them cut his thumb. He made no sound but a reserved expression of sharp pain appeared on his face. Shortly, Logan lost his mischievous attitude and quickly backed his friend away, indicating that he would take care of the mess. Sergei washed the blood in the sink, treated the cut using an antiseptic and carefully put a gauze on it. Logan stood up, got rid of the broken bottle and came to Sergei with a serious look on his face (one of the rare moments he actually bore such an expression).

"What is the matter with you? Seriously, every time you get nervous or anxious about something, the whole place has to fall apart. I understand what you've been through but this kind of attitude just spoils everything!"

Sergei begun to protest but Logan indicated with his hand that he wasn't finished. Then, he continued:

"Look. We are just going to have some fun. There are gonna be lots of people attending, it's an annual event. I know you're anxious to see Elvira, yes I know you've been waiting for this moment three days now, but if you're going to act nuts and make us both end up running after her company like children, I am not gonna come with you. After all, we don't even know if she is coming in the first place. So, what we're gonna do is simple. Pull your damn self together, _then_ we can go have a good time."

That seemed to work on the raven-haired. He responded in a low tone.

"You are right... I am sorry." Logan friendly patted him on the shoulder and his face took the usual cheerful expression that accompanied him at most times. "Let's go, then!" he said.

They took a cab. As they arrived, the place seemed to be significantly crowded for its size. Bridgeport Acres was a big park, though it seemed that lots of residents had been attending the event each year, as a family tradition. There were lots of families, a bunch of children running around, playing, some parents kept them close so they wouldn't lose them in the crowd. In the mixture of sounds and voices, someone would be able to listen to all the people talking, some baby crying, children laughter, old people talking about the good old times and the city's foundation history, teens complaining to their parents as they preferred to attend a party instead of going to that boring, pointless event.

The park was full of green lawn areas, nicely patterned and decorated by bushes. There had been some additions for the sake of the event. There was a stage for a band that occasionally played a song or two (and some speeches were given in between), there was an outdoors bar that contained a nice variety of light drinks and juices (and a bartender, of course), there was a grill and a few tables nearby, and there were the _swings_.

Sergei immediately remembered, that was the place Elvira would be by. Too bad it was too early. They had to wait another 40 to 50 minutes for her to attend. The place was already overcrowded and loud, which drained Sergei of any cheerfulness he attempted to create in himself. He didn't feel comfortable in crowds. Especially in such cases. Logan indicated the bar. "Let's go get us some tonics!"

They moved through the crowd in slow pace, until eventually they reached the bar. Logan treated himself an energy drink as Sergei settled for some simple juice. He was quite nervous already, so he didn't wish any effect caused by caffeine, alcohol or any other ingredient that would possibly affect his behavior or energy. After all, he wanted to look "normal" when he would meet with Elvira.

The minutes passed by quickly. Logan kept making acquaintances, greeting people, chatting and at some points, joining the band either in singing or playing. Sergei was more reserved but kept a friendly attitude to the people. He was sitting on a bench, talking to the mother and her child that were sitting next to him. He checked his watch. It was 8:01 pm. The families with young children begun to lessen in number, as the youngsters' bed time was approaching. The crowd was a bit more bearable now. It was quieter than before, you didn't have to fight your way to any direction you wanted to follow. The sun had completely set and a cool breeze traveled through the trees, the bushes, and the people. Only a small group of primary-school children were left playing at the swings, most teens headed to other places. You could see some groups of young adults (maybe academic students?) walking in the park or sitting on the benches, chatting and laughing. There weren't only leavers, though. Some of the so called "night owls" of the city made their presence, keeping the event going. There was a very small crowd, kept in discreet tones.

Logan came to Sergei, bearing a smile.

"Guess who arrived," then he winked.

Sergei woke up from his bored-to-death state, immediately standing up and fixing his jacket. Logan pointed to where Elvira and her company were. The Hemlock family could be seen at the swings, Morrigan swinging her daughter while her husband stood by her, boringly eyeing the place, as Elvira sat on a bench beside the swings, chatting with her friend. She turned to look at the two friends, as they approached. Sergei locked eyes with her and she got up to welcome them with a smile.

"Good evening, gentlemen. Holding onto the traditions, I see," she said charmingly, as she shook hands with both.  
"Sometimes, they are worth it," responded Sergei with a warm smile.

Logan's voice echoed cheerfully through the park as he greeted the swinging young girl.

"Heyyy, you! Remember me? It's a great day to spend sometime with the family on such an event, isn't it?" He spoke in a mannered cute tone. He literally felt Morrigan's glowing silver-coloured eyes piercing him.

"It's a great _evening_ indeed. Except for this unfortunate encounter," she said in an imposing tone. Her husband had his eyes on him. If Morrigan was creepy, he could safely be described as a real Frakenstein's monster. He was tall and wide-shouldered, he wore a black suit and black shiny shoes. His face wasn't all that fair, though whatever charmness Morrigan saw in him, was because of his imposing figure and his dead-serious face, bearing a pair of sparkling grey eyes. His skin was even lighter than Morrigan's.

After gazing upon Logan for some seconds, he lightly smiled and reached for the blond's hand.

"Wogan Hemlock. I see you are familiar with my daughter."  
"Uh... not really, hehehe," responded Logan, cowardly shaking Wogan's hand. "I just met her and your _lovely_ wife at the subway station, once."

Morrigan enjoyed watching the blond almost wetting his pants. After everyone introduced themselves, the Hemlock family took a walk in the park while the rest followed in a distance, each group chatting about different subjects. Elvira described to Logan the subject of her job, as Sergei (who was walking by her other side) observed her.

She was dressed more casually this time, though her whole appearance was carefully tended. She wore a dark damson lambskin jacket, a black halterneck shirt, a black linen skirt of gothic design and black high boots with heels. Her hair was loose this time, straight and in medium length, nicely decorating her neck and shoulders. She wore silver jewelry. At some point, Sergei noticed a small tattoo on the left side of her neck. How come he didn't notice it the last time? Maybe the rich jewelry on her neck didn't allow any sight to reach. It was a very simple and random edgy design of black colour. After a while, Logan went back to get a drink. Sergei and Elvira carried on walking in a slow pace to a random direction in the park. Then a calm wave of the evening breeze carried Elvira's dazing perfume to Sergei. He gladly invited it.

"So..." he said shyly smiling, as he realized that the whole time he had been staring at her and she noticed that.  
"So," she responded smiling, as if teasing him for his cliché opening line.  
"How was your weekend?"  
"Fine. I... recharged my batteries and this week's schedule probably won't come too hard on me."  
"Nice. You'll get through easily, with that otherwise intensive job," replied Sergei, looking frontwards.  
"Why? Don't you like challenges?" asked Elvira, bearing a mischievous smile.  
"What? Oh." He chuckled. "I..." His eyes met Elvira's and he took a breath. "It depends on the challenge."

Elvira lowered her gaze and smiled widely, revealing a part of her perfect denture and Sergei got a short glimpse of her sharpish fang. She indicated Sergei's cut thumb.

"Certainly, you seem to be quite the adventurous guy in the kitchen." Sergei automatically brought his hand closer and looked at the gauze.  
"Well... not really. I am quite the adventurous guy when it comes to putting on aftershave, though," he said in a light humorous tone. She took his hand in hers, observing the thumb. They stopped walking.  
"You know, you should let the cut get some air," she said with a warm smile. He attempted to remove the gauze but she gently cut him off, whispering "allow me."

With careful and gentle moves, she took it off as Sergei's face frowned at the sensation. The cut was not deep but she could tell it hurt.

"The glass knew where to hit," she said with a smirk. He shyly replied in a low tone: "Yeah..."  
"Take care of it," she said and gently lowered his hand as she held it. Sergei's other hand cupped hers from below. He didn't intend that move, it just happened. He tried to make it seem as if he wanted to take a look at her damson-painted nails. He raised his gaze with a warm smile. "Beautiful."

She smiled back and remained still. She probably wanted to exam his actions. Sergei kept looking deeply in her eyes and as seconds passed, these familiar electrifying sensations came back. Only, now, he was much more nervous. He wasn't staring at her from a safe distance, she was there with him. "Great," he thought, "now she's staring at me and I remain still, looking like a dork. Say something, you idiot." He opened his mouth in an attempt to say something, then he changed it into an awkward smile. She observed him with a smile, as if knowing his every thought.

"Well," he finally said, "I know you have a busy schedule and stuff, but tomorrow I and Logan are going to play at Eugi's. It will be a minor music event, just for the customers."

She started walking again.

"A music event. Interesting. And what would your instrument skill might be?" she asked.  
"Piano. Logan's got the guitar. We will mostly be playing soft music and ballads tomorrow. At times, I play some violin too. Nothing too skillful, though."  
"Nimble fingers. I see," she said in a descreetly mischievous tone. He slightly blushed, then continued: "I have been practising on piano since an early age. I never played as a professional but I consider my skills fine." He joked in a low tone. "Just pointing out that you won't have to worry about your ears' integrity." She smiled widely.  
"Such a pleasant surprise. I myself play some piano too." He turned to her, happily surprised. "A pleasant surprise indeed," he commented vividly. She continued:

"Most people settle with the guitar. How come you chose such noble instruments?"  
"It's a family thing. Back home, there was always some kind of classical music filling the silence. My parents liked the idea of practising one or two classy habits in the house."  
"Did you like it? The classical music."  
"Well, as the years passed I found myself getting more into certain kinds of metal and other dark styled music. Classical, though, has always been an important influence on me. Whenever I feel like there is no other way for me to channel my emotions and thoughts, classical is there. It's like a fun trip through the other kinds, but classical feels like home. Literally." Elvira seemed pleased with what she heard. She responded in a soft tone.

"Classical music is said to be the most perfect form of music in history. Scientists use it to positively affect the development of lesser life forms, as do animal breeders to keep their livestock unstressed. Even water crystals dance gracefully to it's beautiful and perfectly harmonical sound. I can only marvel at its flow." Sergei was drawn both to the fair words she picked, and to her beautiful point of view as well. On the top, he was glad they had such a deep passion in common.

"I could never say it better," he said while exchanging smiles with her. "Too bad tomorrow's humble music won't reach that marvellousness, though, I assure you I shall try my best. _If_ you come, that is."  
Elvira thought for a moment, bearing a mischievous expression. "Only if you play something for me." Sergei took an intruiged face.  
"Of course. Any suggestions?"  
"That... would be up to you. Surprise me," she responded with a smirk. That drove Sergei even crazier.

Eventually, they reached the point they started from. They stood there, waiting for the others to reach them. Sergei was now wondering if it was a good time to ask for her number. Elvira broke the silence.

"Is performing at Eugi's your primary job?"  
"Hm, yes for now. I am looking into several stuff for a while now. If everything goes well, I shall get a full time job in the music industry."  
"And if it doesn't?" she asked with a smirk, raising an eyebrow. He was caught by surprise.  
"Well... I'll just make it happen." He responded playfully. He continued: "For now, I am saving for a place of my own."  
"Can't take the burned steaks anymore?" she joked, looking at Logan's direction. Sergei chuckled.  
"I just don't want to be a burden to him anymore. I mean, he has done a lot for me. If it wasn't for him, I would still be..." he paused for a moment, his face losing its cheerful energy. He decided to leave the sentence unfinished, mumbling a low "yep." Elvira nodded.  
"For such a dark mooded person, your actions are quite optimistic. After all, it will take some time to completely settle in." Sergei responded smiling with confidence:  
"I am a patient person." Elvira raised an eyebrow, smiling.

They saw Logan heading towards them. Sergei asked with a curious face: "Where were you?"  
"I hung out for a while with the Addams family," he replied cheerfully. He turned to Elvira with a troll-face and a playful cartoonlike voice. "Sorry dear, I meant the Hemlocks." She asked then:  
"Are they coming?"  
"Gee, I don't know. Her Spitefulness was too SPITEFUL for my taste, so I excused myself and thought of begging some junkies near the park to end my miserable existance on this planet but I changed my mind and I spent some time with some group of acting students, next to the bar," he responded talking remarkably fast, which drained his breath and as soon as he finished the sentence, he gasped deep and loud. Sergei was left looking at him with a "wtf" expression. He asked in a low tone: "Did you take anything anyway?" Logan replied vividly.

"Only five energy drinks! We were kinda running a bet!" Sergei turned to Elvira with a smirk.  
"Let's sit then," she said, indicating a bench.

The three of them sat, Sergei and Elvira closer to each other while Logan sat on the other end of the bench, slightly leaning back and forth as his hands were trembling by the caffeine (which made handling his touch-screen cellphone quite a task).

After a while, the others came too. Morrigan indicated that her family would have to return home, as her daughter would go to school next morning, and as "some people have _jobs_ in the morning" (piercing Logan with her eyes as she said that). Elvira would have to go too.

"Should I expect you tomorrow, then?" Sergei asked Elvira. She leaned close and responded in a low voice.  
"I don't make any promises." She raised her gaze on Sergei's eyes. "Save me a spot near the piano, though," she said, widening her smile. Sergei was enchanted. "Will do."

Lying on his bed, Sergei thought about her while looking at the brooch he got for her, bearing a smile on his face.


	5. Full moon

Midnight. The night's breeze enters the room by the half-open balcony door and brushes Sergei's cheeks softly. He takes a deep breath and opens his eyes. He turns to find his companion's naked body lying beside him, partially wrapped in the wine linen sheets. The moonlight gave a soft glow on her beautiful pale skin, flattering every line of her perfect body. She was sleeping so peacefully, her face expression was calm and he could just stare at her until the morning comes.

He gently caressed her beautiful deep red lips and carefully got out of bed. He walked towards the balcony and stood behind it, looking through the glass. He remained like this for a while, gazing at the full moon. The breeze was cool and delightful. He thought of all the beautiful moments he had in his life so far, and the fact that this room was the place he felt safest and happiest. There was nothing else he wanted. At some point, a pair of naked arms wrapped him from behind. He had not heard her footsteps but he wasn't startled. Her unwarned touch felt so natural. She kissed him under his left ear and whispered:

"Up already?"  
He turned and wrapped his arms around her waist, bringing her body onto his.  
"I'm learning."

She smiled warmly, letting her fangs sparkle in the moonlight. She gave him a deep kiss and he hungrily accepted it, running his hands passionately from her waist to her shoulders and back. She tightened her grip around his neck. After quite some seconds of kissing and intense breathing, she held his head in her hands and her lips gently left his, brushing lightly over them after the kiss. She spoke in a low tone with a deep voice that Sergei found limitlessly sexy.

"Let us make the most of it, then."

She started planting small kisses on his lips, slowly heading to his ear, then his neck. He remained still, passively accepting all of it as he closed his eyes, drunk in the sensations she gave him. Then, he felt a gentle sucking on his neck. He knew what she was about to do and he gladly accepted it. She held him close and carefully planted her fangs on his skin. The bite was gentle but deep. The sensation had stunned him, he was unable to react but he accepted it anyway. His hands held her tighter and tighter as she proceeded. A dark pleasure seemed to fill her, as an insatiable motivation led her to drink in a slow and steady pace, while she held him tightly, her grip holding him in that place with remarkable force. He felt his blood running on his skin and the more she drank the more it flowed. The last image of that case was his blood flowling like a river, reaching the room's floor and a weakening sensation taking over him.

The image faded. He felt the sunlight on his eyes, as if it was attempting to wake him up so he wouldn't miss one more minute of that beautiful day. He unwillingly opened his eyes, taking a deep breath and turning over the other side. His gaze fell on the digital clock on his bedside table. 9:03 am. He rubbed his face, brought himself on a sitting position on the bed and stretched up. He took some moments to think about what the hell he was dreaming about. What a dark and intense dream. The sensation of the bite was still on his neck. He lightly rubbed the spot.

He headed to the bathroom, running his fingers through his hair. It seemed he had been sweating during his sleep, yet he felt perfectly rested and not stressed at all. He took a shower, then he shaved and changed. He got to the kitchen and noticed that Logan was still asleep. He made some breakfast and coffee, and set his laptop on the table. Quite some time passed as he checked his e-mails and other stuff. He found an apartment not too far from his friend's home and not too far from Eugi's. It also had an affordable rent. The owner indicated in the description that it wasn't available yet but he would move with his family to their house on the other side of the city, so the preparations would soon be made. Sergei smiled.

After some time, Logan's dragging steps could be heard as the blond slowly opened his room's door. He yawned deeply as he headed to the kitchen. As his eyes met up with Sergei's, the raven-haired greeted him with a grin.

"What?" asked Logan, bearing a puzzled expression.  
"_Sleeping beauty's up,_ I see..." responded Sergei with his eyes fixed on his laptop's screen.

Logan responded with a mockingly immitation of that phrase, then poured himself some coffee. He pleasantly inhaled the refreshing smell of warm coffee and took a sip, as he turned his gaze to the still steaming breakfast that Sergei had made.

"PANCAKES!" He grabbed the whole plate of the remaining pancakes and hurryingly took a sit on the dining table, next to his friend. After he settled, he pinned a fork on one pancake and froze still as he brought it right before his mouth. He whispered.

"These are for me, right?"  
"Yup."

Logan then continued his comical moves, happily ravaging his food. Sergei smiled as he carried on looking at the screen.

"Tonight we play. We should rehearse a bit." Logan responded between chewing and taking more food.  
"Okay. Don't think it's necessary, though. We're gonna rock this thing just like the last time."  
"That was for fun. We are getting paid now," he winked. "After all, Elvira's going to be there. I would hate to embarass myself at her presence."

Logan giggled, jogging Sergei's elbow with his own.

"You're really getting into her, eh? Do you think she likes you too?"  
"Well... I don't know. It's too early to tell. She's coming to listen to us, though. I think that's a good sign," said Sergei with a low gaze.  
"Just chill and see, man. That chick is a hard-to-get after all. I mean, you're interested in her and all, it's a good thing... but don't get your hopes too high, just in case."

Sergei was clearly displeased with that statement, as his expression changed completely.

"What do you mean? What are you _implying_? Is she too good for me?"

Logan paused for a moment and looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"Dude... I'm not implying anything. I'm just saying that you should always keep in your mind that things may not always turn out as you want them to. You know what I mean."  
"No, I don't. _Do_ explain, please." Sergei's tone was now growing colder. Logan looked surprised and confused.  
"Well, I... You know, with what you've been through, and her being like..." his speaking pace slowed down as Sergei's eyes pierced him.

"You know what? Forget it," said the blond with an irritated expression and got up, taking his plate and mug. Sergei looked confused and more upset.  
"Don't just walk away. What is wrong with her?"  
"I never said something's wrong with her. I'm just your friend and I saw what you've been through back in Bucharest with that chick, Sheila. You've been like depressed ever since. Now that you just cheered up a bit, the moment you set your eyes on that Elvira chick you get mindblown, and suddenly the world is spinning around her! I'm not implying stuff, man, I'm just saying that you should take it easy, that's all."

Sergei remained silent for a minute or two. Logan quietly cleaned up and stood facing his friend, leaning backwards on the counter.  
Sergei finally spoke, raising his gaze to meet Logan's embittered eyes.

"You're right. I have been a real mess since then. Meeting Elvira is the first thing that made me feel like I can leave those moments behind, and I know that it's early to cheer up but... I'm just glad I can be excited again. I guess I still haven't completely healed myself yet, bursting out on you like this.. I know you meant good. You were there, after all."

Logan slightly smiled, dropping his gaze low. Then he spoke calmly.

"Hm.. I'm still here, man. I'll gladly introduce you to chicks again, while you're too busy pissing your pants and stuff." Sergei laughed. Logan smiled, then continued.  
"You _do_ know how to pick them, though, I'll give you that. But, why her? She's... you know. She's hot as hell and stuff but... she's classy and stuff. With her doctor career and her expensive car and stuff..." Sergei looked at the blond with surprise and amusement, as "and stuff" seemed to be Logan's best argument. Logan realized it and chuckled shortly, then vividly spoke.

"AND, she's _older_ than you! She's probably looking for some moneyed dude with some lawyer job and a big house or something. OH! She's probably looking for the father of her future children!" he exclaimed, bearing a funny shocked face while staring at Sergei with wide-open eyes. Sergei laughed again.  
"You took it too far. She's just my type," he said, smiling. "Now, shall we get to rehearsing? I don't want us to play like losers back at Eugi's."

The day passed by smoothly and the two friends completed their rehearsal, which let to a finely satisfying result. They were talented after all. The official starting hour for their performance was on 9:00 pm. They went there earlier to get ready and adjust their instruments, make preparations etc. The bar was soon crowded and they began playing. At first, there were light and cheerful pieces. Occasionally, Logan sang. They both played in a neat and easy way. Time was passing by and Elvira had not showed up yet. Sergei began to worry. Fourty minutes after the event's beginning, Logan closed in the microphone and spoke, smiling.

"Thank you all for your support, we hope you're having a good time! Be with you right after our 10 minute break!"

Logan placed the guitar to it's case and joined Sergei, who was sitting at a small table near the stage. He had a troubled look on his face as his eyes were fixed on his small bottle of water. Logan placed a beer mug in front of him. Sergei got distracted from whatever overthinking that seemed to have taken him. He looked at Logan with a half smile and politely pushed the mug further.

"Thanks but it's bad for my playing."  
"Come on, man. We came here to work after all. It's our first paid performance, you should be cheering up."

Sergei's gaze met warm sky-blue eyes. Logan placed his hand on Sergei's shoulder and his grip tightened.

"Have some. It's gonna help you relax a bit. Let's have our fun anyway. You're not gonna let some chick ruin this evening of our new musical career, right?"  
Sergei responded with an encouraged smile. "Right."

They enjoyed their beers and the break passed by quickly. They continued their musical programme with a cheerful crowd at their feet. The hours passed and Sergei was now convinced that Elvira wouldn't come. At some point, he even had his mind distracted from the whole case, as he and his friend enjoyed the night's flow. About an hour after midnight, the crowd began to lessen in number. The music style switched to slower songs, and some tracks were lyricless. There was a couple or two that danced slowly on the small dance floor and Sergei couldn't help but feel those sad emotions being revived in him. Logan indicated that he would take a small break to regain some energy for the last of their songs. Sergei remembered that track he had been saving especially for Elvira. It was just plain piano music, without lyrics. It was slow and emotional. Just perfect to get him deeper in that darkening mood, in which he had already been sinking since their first break. "What the hell," he thought, "I'm gonna play the damn thing." He _was_ a drama king after all.

He began playing and Logan looked at him surprised. Then, he laid back on his chair and enjoyed the musical piece, as did the rest of the people there. That music was so deep it was as if time slowed down for a while. When he finished it, a warm applause filled the bar. Sergei held a reserved smile on his face as he gave his thanks to the people. Logan came smiling and picked up the guitar as he jokingly said, "you just couldn't help it." He patted his friend on the shoulder cheerfully, then they played the musical programme to its end.

They walked home as Logan cheered for the evening's success and their generous payment. It wasn't much but it was satisfying, for a first performance. Sergei followed his friend's exciteful mood as best as he could, given the fact that all he wanted now was to crash on his bed, savagely bury his face in his pillow and forget about his problems. The minutes passed by slowly as he struggled to get comfortable in his bed. The emotions of that disapointment just wouldn't leave him be. Why did he make such a big deal about this? Did his mind torment him with problems that didn't exist in the first place? Logan was right. He needed to pull himself together. He wouldn't be able to enjoy anything in his life unless he let go of the pain of the past. It's not like every woman he would meet from now on would be like that damn heart-breaker. Right?

Time passed by. He had calmed down but still couldn't sleep. At some point he checked the clock. 3:37 am. He decided there was no point to stress himself any more. Maybe a walk in the cool breeze on the roads of a quiet city would help him relax. He got up and dressed.

It was kind of chilly outside. He buried his hands in his coat's pockets as he walked. Winter was near. Despite of all his bad memories that were bound to that season, he was still enchanted by it. He got to spend more time indoors. He loved reading in his warm living room, in absolute silence. The view of a brutal cold weather storming outside the windows was better than TV. The nights lasted longer. The pale snow made everything seem purer in his eyes. His cold colours matched that season as well as his deeply introverted yet powerful character did. He was born in winter. It felt like home.

Now he felt like visiting a place of the city that was imprinted on him since the first time he visited it. It was a large park, named Butterfly Esplanade. It was a true beauty. It was a large area of green with beautifully designed paved trails, a fountain, several well-designed white benches, flowers that formed the shape of a butterfly on the green and two beautiful structures. The smallest structure was a small white polygonal building that led to an underground hall. That hall connected it with the second building, which was much larger and contained the park's best part. It was a wide-range circular structure that was covered with a huge glass cupola, making it a sight to marvel at. Still, the best part was inside. The place inside that structure was the park's core, even more finely designed. There was the green area, the paved trails and the benches, but there were far more beautiful additions. Numbers of flowers filled the place's green areas, between the paved trails and around some palm trees on its centre. There were well-placed street lams of vintage style and white colour. There was also a beautiful small lake on one side of the structure. Finally, that indoors park was full of butterflies, which justified the huge cupola and the underground hallway. That was the perfectly peaceful place that Sergei needed to relax.

He took the subway. There were barely any people in it at this time of the night, but he wasn't afraid. He leaned on the window next to his seat as he got lost in his thoughts.

After some time, he arrived. He had to walk some distance as the subway wasn't just outside the park. The air felt clearer there and he enjoyed the sounds of nature as he approached the park more and more. Some lamps were on, giving a romantic and peaceful feeling to that place. The fountain was not working and the main park would probably be closed to the public at that time but he didn't mind.

He walked a bit and sat on a bench. The breeze brushed his hair and cheeks. He looked at the full moon and remembered his dream. Then he thought about Elvira again. He tried to think of all the sensible reasons that she didn't come. Maybe something else came up and she didn't make it in time. Maybe she had to work unexpectedly. She was a doctor after all. Maybe if he had asked for her number, she would be able to call him and inform him that she wouldn't make it. Or maybe she just didn't like him and changed her mind. Maybe it was not about him and he just exaggerated, as always. His mind raced in all these thoughts. Then it drifted in his grievous concerns. He couldn't tell if he was depressed or just insecure. Maybe he had not handled his issues from that past relationship well, and now it was all taking its toll on him, destroying his chances for any possible happiness.

At some point he got bored. He stood up and started walking in the park, randomly following the trails. He ended up in front of the flowery butterfly shape. He spotted a deep red rose amongst the flowers. It caught his eye as it seemed to be the only one in that range. He kneeled down and bent over to smell it, as he caressed its soft petals.

"A hopeless romantic. Interesting."

Sergei jumped as Elvira's unexpected voice broke the silence. He turned to face her awe-generating figure, surprised gray-blue eyes meeting intensive glowing red ones. He fixed his coat, clearing his voice.

"I didn't see you there."

Elvira chuckled at the obvious statement and walked towards him.

"Can't sleep?"

Sergei awkwardly smiled as he dropped his gaze.

"I... I'm the kind of person that appreciates these places better in night scene."  
"_That_ we have in common," responded Elvira with a charming smile.

Sergei eyed her up and down, noticing that her dress left quite some uncovered skin.

"Aren't you cold?"

She did not respond, turning that smile on her face into a mischievous grin. She pierced him with her eyes, indicating that he didn't miss a chance to take a glimpse of her slightly provoking dressing. Sergei smiled shyly, then took off his coat and gently laid it on her shoulders.

"Here."  
"Thank you." She fixed the coat on her.  
"So, uhm... is everything ok?"  
"It is," she answered confidently, with hints of mannerism in her tone.  
"I was just wondering why you didn't show up," he said acting as cool as he could, shyly scratching the back of his head with one hand.  
"That... something came up earlier in the day. Morrigan's daughter got sick and at that time, there wasn't any way we could take her to the hospital. So, I took care of her."

Sergei's expression got serious. "Oh my god, is she ok?" He suddenly felt guilty about all the assumptions he made for her.  
"Yes, she is. I am sorry I let you waiting for me, there was no way to let you know."

She talked pretty calmly. Sergei wondered if that was some excuse, covering the real reason of her absence. Then he remembered she's a doctor and she was probably used to that kind of stuff.

"It's ok. A child's health is more important," he said smiling. She smiled back and placed her hand on his arm.  
"Let's take a walk."

They walked together in a slow pace in the park's silence. Sergei's heart raced with every hint of her presence beside him. They reached a bench and sat on it. Elvira noticed a slight shivering on Sergei's arm.

"Are you cold?" He looked surprised and acted cool.  
"I'm fine," he responded with a half-smile. Was that tension so obvious? He didn't want her to think poorly of him. He continued:  
"I'm surprised to meet you here. Aren't you tired with that schedule of yours?"  
"I wouldn't say _tired_. Just bored. I like my job but one has to take some time to have fun and relax. I find it more interesting during the night-time, so here I am."

Sergei nodded as she talked. Then, he asked again:

"But... why _here_?"  
"As I mentioned, you are not the only one who appreciates a peaceful place in the night's silence. Bars and lounges are fun but this... this holds its own grace. Also, I needed to relax after all the trouble at Hemlocks' place."

Sergei smiled warmly. He felt Elvira's grip slightly tightening.

"After the performance at Eugi's, I'd been wondering how on earth I would ever meet you again. No phone numbers, not any other contact information... and here you are. I get up on four in the morning, I take the subway to this solitary place and here you are. Just what are the odds."  
Elvira chuckled. "Why? What's more ordinary than that?" Sergei chuckled too.  
"Well... me and 'ordinary' have not been the best buds," he said, being more relaxed now than before.  
"Story of my life," responded Elvira, smiling.

Sergei looked at her. They stared at each other for quite some seconds. The moment screamed at Sergei to kiss her. He didn't, though. Again. He just kept looking in her eyes deeply. At some point, she cheerfully said:

"You aren't much of the talkative type, are you?"  
"Seems I'm not."

He looked at her arm that was wrapped around his. He placed his hand upon hers. His face expression grew more serious. He raised his gaze and met her eyes, his face completely free of any cheerfulness and uncomfortableness. He spoke in a lower and more reserved tone.

"I feel..." he paused for some seconds. "I feel very lucky to have met you here tonight. I would love to ask you out sometime. Properly." She smiled widely. He continued. "No Logan, no Hemlocks. No awkward situations. I just want to get to know you better."  
"That would be nice," she responded.

He stood up as he held her hand, helping her stand too.

"So. Shall I walk you to your car?" he asked with a confident smile.  
"Of course," she responded likewise.

As they walked and talked, the tension between them seemed to have been eased. They stopped outside Elvira's car. Sergei just loved that model.

"So," said Elvira with mannerism, stealing back his attention, "here's my number. Call me after 7pm."  
"I will," responded Sergei, taking the note. "Excuse my... strange behaviour. I have been going through some phase. I hope you don't think poorly of me."

She smiled and placed her hand on Sergei's face, caressing all the way from his sideburns to his chin.

"Stating the obvious with you never gets old. Call me," she said softly, then she kissed him and pressed his nape with her hand, burying her fingers in the hair on the back of his head. He froze. Her kiss was nor powerful neither soft. Every second passed by like a year and all his senses were extended to their fullest. Her lips had captured his own and slowly loosened their grip while taking some of his taste in.

They finally parted gently and he exhaled softly, with his forehead on hers. He opened his eyes with a stunned look on his face. She smiled at him and shortly after, she handed him his coat, got in her car and left, taking a last glimpse on him through the window.

Sergei was left staring at the car until it completely disappeared from his sight.


	6. Winter journey

Friday morning. It had been two _long_ days since Sergei met Elvira at that park. He had been constantly thinking about it ever since but he wasn't that nervous anymore. Now that he had her number, he was carefully thinking of how to properly ask her out. He thought of asking of his best friend for some advice, though the memory of Logan cheering and jumping around like a kid that had too much sugar as Sergei described that night, popped in his head and wasn't really motivational. Not that he didn't appreciate the blond's good intentions for being his wingman, he just wanted to do it his own way and stop "chickening out."

Splash. The sensation of cold water on his face shook him from his thoughts and he gasped. He looked at himself in the mirror and watched the drops travelling down his cheeks and falling from his jaw into the sink. Then he grabbed a towel and dried himself.  
As he stepped out of the bathroom, he noticed Logan who was sitting on the couch, slightly leaning frontwards. He was holding a gaming controller between his knees, and had placed his coffee mug on the low table. With his gaze still on the TV screen, the blond greeted him.

"Morning, sunshine! 'Sup?"  
"Is there any coffee left?"  
"Naah, that was the last of it. MOVE, YOU FREAKING PLUMBER!"  
"I'm gonna have some tea, then."  
"Uh huh."

The raven-haired headed to the kitchen. He opened the cupboard and took out a black mug. Then, he browsed through the tea flavors. Finally, he settled with white tea. While he was preparing it, Logan's gaming and cursing sounds filled the whole room. Finally, the blond dropped it and got off the couch, heading to the kitchen too. He took a box that was on the counter and sat down, grabbing a chocolate-flavored donut out of the box. Sergei joined him at the table and took a strawberry-flavored one.

"You know, we have to start eating healthy sometime." He took a bite.  
"Meh. Sometime," responded the blond, then happily devoured his donut in a few bites.  
"Is everything set for tonight's event?"  
Logan gave him a sarcastic look, as if saying "seriously?" and grabbed another donut.  
"We just got up. Give us a break! Everything will be fine."

A few minutes of silence passed as the two friends were absorbed in their own stuff, Sergei reading the newspaper and Logan checking his phone. At some point, the blond broke the silence.

"So, are you gonna contact her?"  
Sergei raised his surprised gaze on him, then Logan met his eyes with a smirk.  
"I... yeah. I am just waiting for the right time. I don't want to sound desperate."  
Logan's smirk turned into a mischievous grin.  
"You have almost pissed your pants, haven't ya?"

Sergei looked at him with an annoyed expression. Then he dropped his gaze down on the paper and awkwardly adjusted his position on his chair.

"Well... I have been trying to figure out the most appropriate way to do this. I don't have much money, neither a car. I don't want her to have a bad time on our first private hangout."  
"You mean, your first date!" said the blond cheerfully.  
Sergei slightly blushed, then responded in a sarcastic tone.  
"Well, that doesn't really help."  
"Why don't you take her out for dinner?"  
"Cause... I told you I don't really have much money, and I don't feel like taking her out to some cheap, underrated place. I want to be able to pay for a normal outing."  
"How about taking her out for drinks?"  
"We met in a bar. I don't think going to that place again is going to make anything feel different, and the other bars of the city are either too expensive or too casual. I want us to have some nice time, to relax and to get to know each other better."  
"Gosh, it's a whole city! Stop messing with your mind so much, just think of something nice and do it."

Sergei paused for a couple of minutes and remained thoughtful. His gaze randomly fell on the open newspaper and drifted through the several articles. He noticed something about Movie Cineplex, the city's theatre. The article was about the premiere of a social/romantic movie, called "Winter journey." The premiere would take place on Saturday evening. He picked up the newspaper and read some information about the movie. He was interrupted by Logan's intentional coughing. He turned the paper over and showed him the article, looking at him with a questioning face. The blond eyed a couple of lines and fixed his gaze on his friend, raising his eyebrows in surprise.  
Sergei spoke in a low voice:

"So... what do you think? Should I...?"  
Logan nodded, then his face became cheerful as always.  
"See? Was that so hard?"  
"What if she doesn't like that kind of movies?" asked the raven-haired, concerned.  
"What if she does?" responded the blond with a smirk. Sergei opened his mouth to speak, but Logan continued:  
"Pull your messy head out of your ass and start doing things. Even if she doesn't like them, you will get to know her better. Isn't it what you want?"  
"Well..."  
"My 15-year-old nephew is more confident than you...! We gotta fix that!"  
"Seems _confidence_ runs in the family," responded Sergei in a low tone, with hints of sarcasm in his voice. Logan chuckled and patted him on the shoulder, then got up and headed to the sink, holding his mug. Sergei spoke then:

"Hey, how are things with Alice?"  
"Good! We're going to the Grind tomorrow!" said Logan, as he washed his mug.  
"The club? How come you never told me?" asked Sergei, surprised.  
"Well, you're not into such places anyway."  
"How do you know, I might want to come with Elvira."  
"Do you?" asked the blond, raising an eyebrow.  
"Well, no," responded the raven-haired, as if stating the obvious.  
"I thought so," said Logan, in a cheerful manner with a grin. Sergei chuckled.  
"Well, I just like having options." Logan rolled his eyes.

The hours passed by. The two friends finished their rehearsal for the evening's musical programme. Sergei spent the rest of his free time in his room, practicing his violin skills on his own. He was trying to compose something but it didn't come naturally. In the end, he was lying on his bed, randomly pulling some strings with his fingers, breaking the monotonous silence of the room. He was lost in his thoughts, his mind playing a flashback of all the time he had been in that city. He might have expected more when he arrived here for the first time, though he was a real mess back then, and now he was slowly getting his life back in order.  
His gaze dropped to the digital clock on the bedside table. The time was 7:08 pm. The thought of calling Elvira after 7 pm struck him and he was drift away from his thoughts. He placed the violin back to its case, grabbed his phone and stepped out of his room. Logan was sitting on the couch, playing with his console again. Sergei sat next to him and took a deep breath before speaking.

"I'm gonna do it."  
"What?" asked Logan, clearly distracted because of the game.  
"I'm going to call her. Like, now."  
"Uh huh."  
"Dude."  
"What?... oh!"  
Logan paused the game and turned to Sergei, sky-blue eyes meeting nervous grey-blue ones. Sergei held his phone and was ready to call. He was about to do it when he eventually lowered the phone and looked at the blond with a confused face.

"What should I tell her? I mean... I have no car and I don't want _her_ to come and pick me up or something... should I tell her to meet me outside of the theatre? What if the bus takes too long? I should get there much earlier, just in case! And, what if she doesn't like the going-to-the-movies idea at all? What if she suggests the Banzai Lounge or something? What if..."  
Logan snapped, interrupting him.

"Dude!" He spoke in a slow pace. "Just. Call. Her."  
"O-okay."

He called. He waited for a while. The silence in the room was remarkable and only Sergei's nervous breathing could be heard. Eventually, the other line was on.

"Elvira speaking." Her voice filled the raven-haired's ears with joy.  
"Hey..! It's Sergei! How are you?" his voice nearly trembled.  
It was the first time he called her and a thousand thoughts passed over his mind, every moment. He looked at his friend every time he spoke, waiting for signs of approval or disapproval. Elvira's voice seemed to sweeten up a bit.  
"Hello, you. And here I thought you'd dropped your phone into a wishing well or something," she said in a teasing manner. Sergei responded with a wide grin on his face.  
"Heh, well... sorry for not calling you earlier, I assumed it would be better not to get in the way of that busy schedule of yours. I hope I wasn't too late."  
"Too late for what?"  
"Tomorrow. Evening. Have you made plans?" He slightly trembled at the last words.  
"Hm. I have received some suggestions but what did you have in mind?"  
"The premiere of a movie plays at 8:30 pm, it's... called Winter Journey. Social stuff. What do you say?"  
"A movie...? Hmm."

She thought about it only for a few seconds, which passed by surprisingly slowly for Sergei, and for his friend Logan, who watched him with agony and had no idea of what her replies were. She finally responded:

"Cinema sounds good. I haven't been there in a while. It would be a nice change."  
Sergei's red face almost exploded with cheerfulness and he silently celebrated with dancy moves, causing his blonde friend to act even more childishly and playfully.

"Okay! I'll... wait for you at the lobby, then. 8 o'clock, just to be sure."  
"Okay then... See you tomorrow." Her voice indicated that she was smiling.  
"Alright. Have a nice evening."  
"You too."

She hang up. Right after that, Sergei stared at Logan with a huge grin on his face, as Logan jumped on him, punching his arm, exclaiming "that's my man," while the raven-haired chuckled, savagely attacking him with a couch pillow. When they got exhausted, they crashed on the messed up couch, breathing heavily and happily. Logan spoke first.

"Who would have thought. My pal _is_ getting it on with the classy-lady after all."  
"It's just a movie!" The blond looked at him mischievously.  
"She is a grown woman, buddy. I think if she just wanted to watch a movie, she would stay home and do so on her big-ass plasma screen." He winked at the raven-haired.  
Sergei began to respond, then he found that he liked the idea of Elvira being already attracted to him on such a level. He didn't want to move too fast, though. That mystery in getting to know each other better and finding common passions is what he enjoyed the most.

Time passed by and they eventually went to perform their music programme at Eugi's. It was Friday night, so the event went well and they received a handsome amount of tips. A beautiful closure of a good day.

Saturday morning found both friends sleeping deeply, exhausted by last night's schedule, though, it was all worth it for the fun (and it paid off well). They had gotten up by noon, following their usual activities of the day, being more relaxed as they were done with work for the weekend. They jogged early in the afternoon, then Logan kept working out at home while Sergei started getting ready for his date. After taking care of himself, he carefully chose his outfit. Now and then, he asked Logan about his appearance and the blond would answer indifferently, as he didn't really pay much attention to such stuff. Finally, Sergei got ready and presented himself.

"So...? What do you think?"  
Logan, who was stretching out at that moment, took a short glimpse of him and giggled.  
"Man, what's the suit for? You're going to the movies, for freak's sake."  
"Is it too much? Hm... I'll be right back."

Two minutes passed and he entered again, dressed more casually this time. He was wearing a simple black blazer with a plain dark purple shirt, his usual jeans and black shoes.

"What about now?"  
"That's more like it."  
"Good. Now let me get my coat and..."  
"HER HIGHNESS IS READY! GODS BE PRAISED, THE BATHROOM IS FINALLY FREE!" Interrupted the blond, as vividly as it gets.  
Sergei gave Logan a sarcastic look in response, as the latter laughed mischievously.  
"Off I go then. Have fun with Alice, and please, try to keep the apartment in shape, in case you guys end up here."  
"Will do. Promise," responded the blond with an intentional innocent face, in a not at all innocent manner. "Have fun, you two," he said, winking at the raven-haired.

Sergei put on his coat and got off the building in a quick pace. He was nervous about getting there in time, even though there was plenty of it. He didn't want to make a bad impression on Elvira, especially on their first date. He took the subway and, eventually, he reached the place and walked into Movie Cineplex. The place was pretty crowded, as it always was on Saturday evenings. A large amount of the crowd was consisted of teenagers and college students. Less were the families with small kinds.  
He headed towards the lobby and sat on a couch. He always liked that place, not when it was too crowded of course. The modern design, the comfortable and friendly environment, the smell of freshly made pop corn, everything gave a hospitable sense to it.  
Sergei was standing in front of a candy machine, when he felt a hand resting on his shoulder. He turned around in surprise and his grey-blue eyes were welcomed by warm, glowing red ones. Elvira greeted him with her charming smile, softly saying "hello, you." Sergei paused for some seconds to admire her. She was dressed elegantly but not formally, in her usual dark shades, with hints of red now and there. On the top, a black trench coat covered her, following the line of her body beautifully. Sergei eyed her slowly up and down, before realizing that he had to say something to her.

"Hey..." he said with a half smile. "You look beautiful."  
Elvira turned her smile into a smirk, mouthing the words "thank you." Sergei wondered if it was a good idea to kiss her now, since they already broke the ice on that one. Then, he just decided to go with a gentle move and let the sugar come naturally later, supposingly the date would go well. He gently took the hand she had previously laid on his shoulder, and kissed the back of it politely. He raised his gaze and she spoke as she was smiling:

"Shall we go, then?"  
"Of course."

They headed to the deck, where Sergei bought the tickets, then they passed by the crowd that was piling up, waiting for their pop corn and drinks.  
Sergei turned to Elvira, indicating the counter.

"Would you like anything? Any snack?"  
"I'm good. I avoid eating that stuff anyway. Thank you, though." She responded politely. Sergei smiled back.  
"Of course... are a doctor after all. I don't feel like buying something either. Just look at that crowd." Elvira chuckled and spoke teasingly:  
"Not a people person, after all."

They entered the movie room and were guided to their seats on the fifth row from the front. Elvira took off her coat and uncovered her off-shoulder top, which gracefully revealed her beautiful neck and shoulders, while Sergei was stunned for a few seconds, drinking in her sight. Then, the lights slowly faded out and they sat on their seats. Only the screen was left to slightly light the place, which was enough for Sergei to take short glimpses of his pretty companion now and then.  
During the movie, Sergei turned to examine Elvira's reactions on certain scenes, as well as the expressions on her face. She seemed to find the movie interesting, at least at some points. She adjusted her position on her seat, crossing her legs and leaning back, supporting her head on her right hand, and resting the other one on the seat's arm. Sergei was sitting on her left, and their hands slightly touched, though Elvira didn't seem to react to that. Sergei tried not to move that hand at all, enjoying the feeling of that lucky contact.

At some point, there were some romantic scenes in the movie, and then some of more erotic content. The raven-haired felt those familiar, electifying sensations filling him and he grew a little nervous. He slowly turned his gaze on Elvira and found her smirking as she watched the movie with interest. Her left hand's fingers begun tapping on the seat's arm and Sergei's gaze wandered on the shape of her body and her crossed legs. She was wearing a pretty short skirt and a pair of dark-coloured stockings, and the whole thing lined her features in a devilishly attractive way. Sergei felt uncomfortable at the emotions that filled him, so he tried to distract himself with the movie, desperately failing. Watching these scenes, he couldn't help but imagine himself and her on that seductive dance of love. Eventually, he attempted to take a glimpse of her again, surprisingly finding that she was already looking at him, her face bearing that charming smile. Even in the dark shades of that room, her red eyes could be perfectly seen, magnetizing any person's gaze. He looked deeply in them and his lips formed a warm smile. His fingers, as if moving on their own, touched Elvira's ones. His index finger gently brought her little one closer, then his middle one carried the rest of hers on his palm and their hands united, interlocking fingers with each other. He turned his gaze on the screen, still smiling, and they stayed like that for several minutes. He was subconsciously caressing her hand with his thumb.

Time passed and the movie was at about to end. The story was focusing on the characters' reunion and those scenes filled most of the crowd with touchy emotions, some even cried a bit. Sergei was simply smiling at how the story evolved and wondered if Elvira liked it, or if she found it too mainstream, or too emotional. He brought out his phone and attempted to see the time, then it somehow slipped from his fingers and landed under the seats. He bent over to pick it up and found his face remarkably close to her figure. He blushed and slowly raised himself up, trying to hide the fact that he eyed her shape on the way. He found her looking at him and smirking at his clumpsy moves. He awkwardly indicated his phone, mumbling something, and as he adjusted to his seat, he somehow got closer to her. They looked at each other's eyes and he slightly begun to lean closer. Then, the ending titles took place and the room's lights were on again. That feeling of privacy was shattered in seconds, as the crowd started talking and raising up from their seats. Sergei paused in his position, his face expression changing to clear dissatisfaction.

They followed the crowd towards the exit, as they were discussing about the movie. At some point, they got out of the building and they continued their walk among the city's busy streets.

"Interesting point of view. Well, to be honest, I was kinda nervous about you not liking the movie," said Sergei, as they walked in slow pace on the sidewalk, coats buttoned up and hands in pockets. It was kind of chilly, after all.  
"Well, the movie couldn't help going through the cheesy parts that all romantic films do, though some of them were... interesting, combined to the social messages of the story," responded Elvira, while making moves with her right hand to emphasize what she said.  
"Glad to hear that. It's nice to find an interesting movie now and then, among all the nonsense they play lately."  
"It is."  
"Next time, you pick one."  
Elvira looked at him with the corner of her eye, bearing a smirk on her face.  
"Planning our next date, already?" she said playfully.

Sergei blushed at the clear declaration of their hangout as a date, yet he liked the fact that this was officially the level of their relationship. He was also happy that he was officially able to move on with the personal matters of his life.  
He chuckled in response to Elvira's question. Then, he gave her a warm smile.

"We should do that more often."  
"Indeed. Provided there are no crowds," she said with mannerism.  
He instantly moved his gaze elsewhere with a shy grin. Then, he moved his right hand out of the coat's pocket and reached for Elvira's left one. She accepted the gesture.

They continued their discussion for the rest of their walk. Eventually, it got late and they found themselves in a quiet park. The moon glowed brightly in the dark sky, its pale light reflecting beautifully on the surrounding clouds, and on Elvira's light skin, which now seemed flawless and lucent. Sergei felt truly enchanted by her image. She was like a goddess of the night. He drank in her sight, which only made him crave for more. At some point, she approached the park's fountain. She took off her coat with slow moves and placed it on it, then she turned to Sergei and leaned backwards on the fountain's edge, her arms slightly spread open and supporting her weight. She let the moonlight shower the line of her body, as her red eyes were pinned on the raven-haired, glowing more intensely than ever. Her face expression was almost lustful.  
Sergei felt helpless. He remained frozen in his place, like a mere mortal who desperately admired and loved his muse.

It must had been the first time he managed such a charming smile. He looked at her as if watching the most beautiful creature a man had ever laid eyes upon. He took a few slow steps towards her, but stopped at a respectable distance. She smirked and started walking slowly around the circular shape of the fountain, caressing its edge with her fingers, turning her back on Sergei. He just stood there and watched her. She began talking first:

"So tell me, Sergei... what did you know about this city before you came here?" Her tone had hints of seductive intentions.  
"Only what Logan told me. He mostly talked about the nightlife and all the... fun parts."  
"And what did he tell you about the nightlife?"  
"You know... the clubs, the bars, the bright lights... the fact that many people here prefer to hit the streets after the sun falls down."  
She grinned on the last phrase.  
"Why do you think that is?"  
"Hm... I guess, because of the bars and the lounges that consist a great deal of this city. It's only sensible that people function according to that lifestyle."  
"What if it works the other way around...?" she asked with a mischievous smirk. Sergei's expression became confused and surprised.  
"You mean... the people causing the city to function at night?"

She had completed the round of the fountain and was in front of him again. She rested on the fountain's edge backwards as she did before, but in a more relaxed and less provocative position.

"Yes."  
"People in this city must _really_ like nightlife."

She reached out and held his right hand in hers. As she started speaking, she seemed to randomly following the lines on his palm with her index finger.

"You haven't lived here for long. I am sure, though, that you noticed something feels different in this place. It's in the air, the way certain people throw glimpses at you... the fact that it is supposedly a crowded city, yet you rarely notice any newcomers, and the residents here tend to keep their wits about them, most of the times. You may have fitted in here well so far, though this is not a hospitable place."  
Sergei grew both puzzled and curious of what he heard.  
"Is this about crime and government's secret services?" Elvira laughed at his assumption, her voice filling the silence of the park. Sergei smiled. He spoke again:  
"Now that you mention that, I did have some strange dreams from time to time. I always blamed my messed up mood, though."

Elvira laid her arms on Sergei's shoulders, her hands locking behind his nape.

"You shall see in time. Now let's see what we can do about that mood."

She moved her back from the fountain and stood closer to his body. He gently cupped her face at first, then trailed her cheeks and jaw with his fingertips, as he stared deeply in her eyes, bearing a light smile on his face. He leaned close and lightly brushed her neck with the tip of his nose and, at some point, with his lips, as he softly took in her intoxicating perfume. He slowly moved and smelled her hair, then brushed his lips behind her jaw and under her ear, while his right hand caressed her other cheek. Then, he touched his forehead on hers as their gazes met, and finally, his lips touched hers and they locked into a tender kiss that deepened over the passing seconds, and even more when they embraced. There was nothing else he wanted at that moment. They just stood there, kissing each other for the next several minutes, bathing in the moonlight that was now brighter than ever, and in the chilly breeze.


	7. Saturday night wonders

Dark. Calmness. Breathing. Warmth. The pillow's soft embrace.  
The raven-haired was sleeping peacefully. His senses slowly came to him, gently carrying him away from his sleeping bliss. His thoughts drifted between sleep's embrace and the facts that took place after that lingering kiss with Elvira, at the fountain.

_They parted slowly, catching their breaths. Sergei rested his forehead on Elvira's one, just like before. He stood still for a moment, cupping her face in his hands, keeping his gaze low. Elvira cupped his face as well, in a more possessive way than Sergei did. She made him look her in the eyes, pinning him with that rich glowing red colour, then her lips curled into a smirk, and then into a grin. She gently pulled him closer, bringing his body onto hers, causing him to slightly push her against the fountain's edge that was behind her._

_Sergei was momentarily filled with a reserving intention, then he relaxed. He enjoyed staying like this for a while, as he put his hands on her waist and stroked her upwards on her back, his hands openly exploring her figure on the way, till his thumbs extended to her sides. She leaned in and kissed him again. They enjoyed each other's warm company for some more minutes, then their lips parted and Elvira whispered in a seductive voice._

_"Shall we carry on with our little party in privacy?"_

_Sergei was surprised with how fast and plainly he accepted. For such a reserved and introverted person, his body responded like a spoiled child that was going to get what he wanted, no matter what. They headed to her car, kissing on the way, and they paused only to drive to her place as quickly as it gets. When they entered her building, Elvira kept her distance but still held his hand, leading him to the elevator. Once the doors closed, she pinned him on the wall, leaning her body on his and teasing his lips with hers, without actually kissing him. Sergei gladly accepted it all, without really advancing on any other moves. Shortly, they reached the floor her apartment was on, and she led him to her place._

_As they entered her apartment, Sergei eyed the place with wonder. It was finely designed, the decoration was mostly in dark and red tones, with bloody-themed works of art on the walls, the furniture was obviously expensive, and everything provided a taste of dark design with gothic and classic hints. It was dark and beautiful. "Like a soothing hell," as Sergei thought._

_The moment the door closed, the young man was interrupted from his exploring thoughts, as Elvira brought him close and locked lips with him again. As they kissed, she removed his coat and threw it on a table, then she slowly guided him to the couch while kissing him, as Sergei kept his eyes closed and let her do so. They sat together side by side, but still facing each other, with Elvira slightly leaning on him. Their lips parted once again and she caressed his face with her fingers as she whispered._

_"Would you like to drink something?"_

_Still dazed by her intoxicating presence, Sergei didn't respond right away. He didn't really feel like having a drink, and he didn't want her to leave her current place either. However, he thought some booze might help him get rid of the tension, as he would get more familiar with the place and the whole thing. He had not been like that with a woman for more than a year, and Elvira was only the second person he ever got that intimate with. He finally responded._

_"Uhm... some scotch would be nice. If there is any."  
He thought it was a silly way to ask so, right after he finished his sentence._

_Elvira smirked and whispered "of course," then she slowly got up and headed to the bar, as Sergei eyed her shape and drank in her sight once more.  
After a while, she was back with two glasses of scotch. She handed him the glass and elegantly sat beside him. He smiled at her and took a sip. The flavor was strong for him but he kept a calm expression on his face. Then, he remembered the nights that he and his best friend had, back in Bucharest. They used to have a glass of scotch now and then, especially on those poker nights. It had been so long since the last time he tasted it. Now the flavor became familiar again. He enjoyed the aftertaste in his mouth._

_He raised his gaze and his eyes met hers. Her face bore a devilish smirk, as she pinned him with that possessive gaze once again. With slow moves she took a sip of her glass, and the moment the glass touched her lips, the raven-haired swallowed nervously. When she lowered her glass, she took in the taste of scotch that remained on her lips, then slightly licked the upper one. Sergei approached gently, stopping just one breath away from her face. They stared each other in the eyes, as she grinned, then he started a gentle kiss as they pleasantly shared some of the remaining scotch flavor._

_Time passed by as they enjoyed each other's kisses, caresses, soft words and seductive looks. At some point, Elvira pushed him gently and they lied on the couch, making out and caressing each other. Her hands wandered from his face to his chest, then they slowly caressed lower, ending up inside his shirt and stroking his abdomen. Sergei liked the sensation on his body, but his mind wouldn't let him have it. This was all too familiar, not in a good way. He had been there before. The company of a certain woman that made that December night, a night to remember. It was almost the same scenery, the start of what seemed to be a journey in the fields of insatiable passion and love, only to lead in lasting pain and betrayal. He wouldn't make the same mistake. He wanted to make things right this time, he wouldn't rush into the deceitful ways of lust and hope for the best. He wanted to feel whole again, to feel good with himself, and rushing into having sex with a woman he only knew for some days was not going to give him that, and he knew that well. If he wanted something like that, he would have done so before, probably with some random girl he would meet at any bar. But being with her was something precious to him, and he wanted to build up that thing they had into something real._

_He felt the burning sensations in him cool down, as his mind had its way again. He reached for Elvira's hand that stroked his abs and gently removed it, still holding it and interlocking fingers with her. Elvira stopped kissing him and looked at him with a surprised expression. He smiled at her and spoke, while caressing her face with his other hand._

_"You know... I do enjoy your company."  
"So do I," responded Elvira, her face questioning Sergei for the need of the obvious statement.  
"Thing is... I enjoy it too much to spoil it now."_

_Elvira was still for a moment, then broke in chuckles to cover her obvious confusion. Sergei gently brought himself and her to the sitting position they had before, then continued caressing her face as he spoke._

_"I know it seems... weird. Or even stupid. I died to be with you the moment I laid my eyes on you, and now I act like this... I don't want you to take it the wrong way. But I don't want to rush things. I said I wanted to know you, that meant to discover every inch of... the wonderful you. But I want to do this right. For my own reasons."_

_Elvira smiled and stroked his chin, while softly speaking._

_"Of course. But we are here and we both want this. Who's to say it's wrong?"_

_Sergei cupped her face and leaned in for a soft kiss. His thumbs caressed her cheekbones as he did so. Then they parted and he answered softly._

_"I just... I need to do things this way. I know I probably seem messed up with all this, maybe too insecure or scared or... whatever. And it's funny that I don't open up like this, and here you are, barely knowing me for... days, and we are in your place, and..."_

_He paused for a moment, slightly feeling awkward as Elvira's expression had turned serious. Her face warmed up a bit and she attempted to speak but Sergei indicated he wanted to say more._

_"Look... this is me now. At this current time of my life, this is how I deal with everything. If you... expected something different, something more exciting and stuff, I will totally understand. But let me just say that... if you are interested in making something special out of... this..." his hand indicated them both, going back and forth the distance between them, "...then I am more than eager to discover this with you. And if you are not interested in something like that... well... I am just glad I had the chance to tell you."_

_Elvira's expression turned into a half smile. Then she cupped his face with both hands and gave him a deep, lingering kiss. Without completely parting their lips, she whispered "this should be interesting," then continued the kiss._

_They kissed and kissed, as time passed by. Eventually, Sergei said he needed to leave, as "his friend the fool" got stuck outside a club in the other side of the city and was too drunk to safely go home by himself (fortunately not too drunk to text Sergei about it)._

He opened his eyes. His gaze wandered in the reach of his sight, as he was too bored to move his head for a better view. The room was so quiet and peaceful. He looked at the few sunrays that entered through the not-completely-shut window blinds. He watched the room's dust dance in the sunlight. He smiled at the memories and emotions that filled him. "This is worth living for," he thought. It was the first time in god-knows-how-long that he felt that content.  
Time passed slowly but pleasantly, as he was half asleep, not sure if his memories turned into dreams or just remained simple thoughts. Eventually, he got up and walked out of the room, heading to the bathroom. His blonde roommate was still in his room, sleeping like a baby, as always. Sergei had a shower and as he looked at himself in the mirror, he was surprised by how refreshed he looked. It was the first night in a long time that he slept that good. He smiled and washed his face.

He made coffee and a sandwich. He sat comfortably on the couch, with his breakfast placed on the low table and his laptop on his lap. He browsed his e-mails and his eye caught one particular mail from an unfamiliar adress. He raised his brow and opened it. As he read it, his eyes grew wide. It was sent by a musician who was at Eugi's during the night of their first paid performance. He wrote that he liked the two friends' playing skills and was interested in a collaboration of the three. He was a drummer and he suggested a meeting and discussing about the possibility of writing music together, or even forming a band. At the end of the mail, he had written his full name and phone number.

"Oh... my... GOD!"

Sergei couldn't help but cheer like a child. He jumped off the couch, nearly dropping his laptop on the floor, he rushed into Logan's room where he found the blond sleeping peacefully and totally unaware of his friend's intentions. Finally, he jumped on the bed shouting and cheering up, grabbing and shaking his terrified friend maniacally. When he eventually explained the situation, Logan's nervous voice took a sarcastic tone and he commented.

"Gosh... and you had to start jumping on my bed and screaming like a girl? That hangover is already too bad..."  
"I made coffee. This is a great opportunity! We can get some recognition and... well, more doors open that way. This might be the first step to something big!"

Logan unwillingly got up and headed to the kitchen, as Sergei followed.

"But we don't know this guy. How can you be so sure that he's who he says he is?"  
"Uhm... that's why he said we should meet him first and have a talk," said the raven-haired in a sarcastic tone.  
"But why didn't he say so earlier? Like, at the end of the music programme that night... don't get me wrong, I love such opportunities but I have seen so much going on in this business and..."  
"We should at least meet him and hear what he says."  
"But..."  
"Nope."  
"But-"  
"Nah!"  
"B-but-"

Sergei stuffed Logan's mouth with a muffin.

"The e-mail was sent to me, so we shall do as I say." He gave Logan an innocent look.

Logan took the muffin and after some chewing, he spoke.

"What's with you today? You look so full of energy and..." his eyes grew wide. "Did you...?" Sergei looked at him with wonder.  
"What?"  
Logan almost chocked on the effort to quickly swallow the muffin and exclaimed with enthusiasm.  
"DID YOU BANG THE CHICK?"

Before Sergei had the chance to reply, Logan was shouting with excitement as he followed his usual cheering comical moves, repeatedly using phrases like "that's my man" or "get 'em, Sergio."

Sergei rolled his eyes and said in a low tone "you really can't be helped." Then, he took another muffin and stuffed his friend's mouth again, more fiercely this time.

"I didn't _bang_ her. We... had a moment. At her place. On her couch. But nothing like that happened. Actually, why don't you wash that muffin down with some coffee and let me tell you all about last night...?"

They talked and time passed by pleasantly, as Logan's usual spicy comments were followed by Sergei's usual sarcastic reactions. Despite all the teasing and mocking, Logan was happy that his friend seemed to truly cheer up in such a long time. Of course he held his concerns about the whole thing. Before Sergei arrived in Bridgeport, Elvira kind of held a reputation about the way she handled her men. She had been discreet most of the times. Maybe too discreet. No one had kept any contact with her past relationships and these men seemed to disappear from the neighbourhood as plainly as they appeared before. The blond had heard Morrigan teasingly calling Elvira "man-eater" before. He didn't really pay any attention to that but now that things were about to get on with his friend and Elvira, he felt that he needed to be cautious for him, just in case.

"What about you?"

Logan was shaken from his thoughts and was caught bearing a serious and puzzled expression, something he rarely did.

"Huh?"  
"What happened with Alice? Last night you were too drunk to explain why you needed me to come and pick you up."  
"Oh... yeah."

Logan's expression became even more puzzled and indicated that he had some trouble recalling what exactly happened that night. Some seconds passed and Sergei touched his friend on the shoulder.

"Logan...? Is everything alright?"  
"Yeah... I just... Well, the weirdest thing happened last night. It was all going smooth, me and Alice went to the Grind, had a couple of drinks, shook it a bit... everything went fine and then I... I can't really remember. It must have been the booze... something was in it, or it was too strong, I don't know. It gets fuzzy at some point." Sergei's face bore a surprised expression at first, then a shocked one.  
"Are you alright? What do you remember?"

Logan adjusted his position on his chair, with his elbows on the table, and dropped his gaze low as he spoke.

"Well... I am okay and stuff, nothing bad happened. I am just kinda confused. I wasn't confused yesterday and everything seemed normal and stuff, but now I am kinda puzzled with Alice... at some point, we run into some friends of her and we joined them. They had brought other friends with them and, as you can imagine, the final group was huge. I just introduced myself to them and then carried on with Alice... then, at some point, she joined the conversation of some friends that were sitting on the other side of the table, then I went to dance... and then it is fuzzy and I don't remember the details. I just remember that, somehow... at some point, Alice went into the crowd with a guy she was talking to, then I searched for her but she was nowhere to be found. I tried calling her but her phone was off. I asked the rest of the group if they saw her, but no one did. I spent the next 10 minutes looking for her all over the place, I even got out and she was nowhere, and I still couldn't reach her by phone. Then I felt pretty messed up and I just told her friends to let her know that I left, should they see her later."

Sergei remained silent for half a minute. Then, he reached out for his friend's shoulder again.

"Do you want to go to the hospital or something? Are you sure you feel okay?"  
"Gosh, no... I am fine. I just have a headache... I don't know if I will be able to perform tonight."  
"Don't worry. We will figure something out until then."

Logan raised his gaze on his smiling friend and found himself surprised at the raven-haired's sudden turning into an optimist. He smiled back and the two friends finished their meal. Then, the blond headed back to his bedroom and Sergei cleaned up. The rest of the day passed quickly and in the evening, the two friends got to perform together.


	8. When life gives you lemons

Friday evening. It had been 11 days since that night of bonding between Elvira and Sergei, and of the strange incident in the Grind. This was the 12th day. Logan had discovered some kind of bitemarks on his neck but they were too small and hidden under his rich hair to notice that night. Also, he was too drunk and dizzy. He never managed to recall how he got them. He figured out that it was either the result of his drunk and over excited girlfriend while they were on the dance floor and made out with each other, or maybe that place had some real vermin or rat issues and he was too drunk to notice. Silly and reckless as he was, he never had himself checked and just assumed the vertigo was caused by too much alcohol consumption, or by an infection. He settled with some casual medication and recovered in three days. He could have never imagined what really happened.

As for Alice, she explained that she wasn't feeling well either and her _friend_ took her to the hospital. She also claimed that her phone battery was dead and that's why Logan couldn't reach her. Things were fuzzy for her too. The whole thing left a sour taste on Logan and he didn't want to look into it any further. After that, their habits went on as usual.

Sergei and Elvira didn't get much action after that night. Elvira's busy schedule and Sergei's hard work to get more into the music industry only allowed them to meet one or two times for a drink or a walk. However, they communicated often, through the phone or the internet. Sergei enjoyed those nights that he stayed up late and got to catch Elvira online. Elvira was more of a phone person but she didn't mind relaxing in front of her screen after a long day (or a long night). After all, Sergei seemed to be more sociable and confident through the reassuring safe distance that the screen provided. An introvert indeed. During this week, it kind of became a habit for them both to chat about their day, at first, then to move on to several subjects of common interest, such as their music preferences and stuff. Then, there was the good part, where they would get excited about a subject and talk for hours. There would be some teasing or hints of flirting in all that. Sergei felt so content, having these silly, interesting, funny, sometimes deep or even philosophical talks with her. The time passed quickly when they talked.

Now, it was another relaxing evening for Sergei. He and Logan had the day off, as another band performed at Eugi's tonight. Logan was out with Alice, and it seemed that he would spend the night at her place. Sergei loved the company of his best friend, but he valued his alone time in a special way. He loved having the whole place to himself, and the quiet was pretty easy to notice when the blond was not around.

He prepared his hot chamomile with milk and honey, he placed it on a coaster on the low table and sat on the couch, with his laptop on. He went online and browsed the internet a bit. Time passed by nice and easy, as he chatted with one or two people. His favorite music playlist was on, and slow and dark sounds filled the room, creating a strangely sweet atmosphere.

At some point, a notification sound stole his attention. His expression turned cheerful as he read his beloved's name. He opened the chat window.

"Staying up again, aren't we?"

Sergei took a sip from his mug while smiling, then quickly typed his reply.

"It's only 9 pm. It is you who's early."  
"Fair point. Well, it was a quiet day for me. No working like a dog, no mood to hang in a bar."  
"How so? Are you tired?"

She didn't respond right away.

"Anything but that. Like you, I can use some quiet from time to time."  
"Need a break from _challenges?_" typed Sergei, with a smirk on his face.  
"Well, well! Look who's gotten cheeky!"

Sergei giggled and felt amused as he was able to tease Elvira behind the screen, while her influence was not so directly intense on him from that distance. As they were chatting, he used emoticons now and then, while Elvira's texts were more plain and composed. The time passed as they went on and on, and the raven-haired often mentioned the musical tracks he was listening to. Elvira would take short breaks, either to pour herself some wine, or for other minor excuses. Sergei's attention was constantly fixed on the screen, except for the times he needed to get comfortable, take care of physical needs, stuff like that.

At some point, Sergei grew curious about Elvira's past. During all this time, they shared so much information about each other, but he realized now that he only knew what went on with her life at the present. She never talked about her origins, whether she was always a Bridgeport resident or not, stuff like that. She had mentioned one or two things regarding her career, the university she graduated from, or where she worked before, but that was it. All Sergei knew about her was what she did for a living, and that she travelled from time to time. She never mentioned anything about her personal life.

He wondered if she just didn't get the chance to do so, or if she avoided discussing such subjects on purpose. His mind wandered in the possible ways he could ask about her past, without sounding too indiscreet. A few minutes of silence passed and he typed.

"So, uhm… would you mind telling me more about yourself? I mean, stuff like… how long have you lived here?"  
"A long time. I think I have mentioned that before."  
"Yes you have. But, uhm, I would like to know more about... where you have lived, how you spent your time there, if you have any old friends..."

Two minutes passed and Sergei swallowed hard. Finally, she responded.

"This is not my hometown. Generally, I have travelled a lot. I don't get attached to only one place and I always considered the world a place to explore and conquer. I have spent a lot of time doing that."  
"That is... amazing. You are so lucky you had the chance to do that. I was under the impression that your career consumed a large part of your life, casting such luxuries aside. Where did you find the time?"  
"I made it."

Sergei responded with a smiling emoticon, then Elvira did so too. For about a minute nobody typed, so he figured that she didn't want to share more information for now. A notification sound stole his attention again.

"What about you?"  
"What about me?"  
"You don't talk about your life back home either."

His face darkened as familiar bitterness started growing in him.

"Oh... yeah. Well, there's nothing special to talk about. I grew up in a big house, a lonely child... my father was kind of famous in his circles. I was always kind of a loner but I was happy with what I had."  
"Interesting. What about your recent years?"  
"I got through some good and hard times. Though, I wouldn't take it back, cause I met Logan. It was the only thing that was worth it."  
"Would you like to talk about what happened?"

Sergei felt a sob forming in his throat. He didn't respond right away, he took some seconds to form an objective answer in his mind, without letting his emotions drain him again. Maybe if he shared his feelings and thoughts with her, he would feel better, at last.

"Well... I trusted someone I shouldn't have. You see, I wasn't a loner just because I liked being on my own. I rarely found people to share my passions with. Most of them seemed too... hollow to me. Then, she came along... I had always known her but we didn't hang out much, until I got in university. I was in the department of Music and Theatre, while she was more of a dancer. Once we unfurled and combined our artistic natures, we were immediately bound to something that deepened and strengthened over time."

Elvira remained silent while Sergei was opening up about things he never mentioned before. He paused now and then, to organize his thoughts and to pass them on as best as he could.

"Then... some time passed. Everything seemed so perfectly in place. I felt I was where I should be. Then, Logan came along and I finally got a true friend. In the beginning, I was buffled and considered him an annoying, cocky guy. Then, he made me see the world around me with different eyes. For the first time in my life, I walked around the streets during early morning hours with my best friend beside me, blabbering and laughing about silly things, with our beers still in our hands."

He paused for a second. Elvira broke the silence.

"So far so good. What went wrong?"  
"I was happy. In a different way than before. I always used to find bliss in graceful things, such as music, poetry, plays etc. but I never took the time to have some... silly fun. I never thought I needed it, but the reality was, I just needed a close friend to be foolish with, and that was Logan. After all that, I started to change. In general, I became more cheerful than before, and happy, in a less dramatic way. For some reason, that affected my relationship with Sheila."  
"Why?"  
"I didn't know. She didn't seem to like the fact that I enjoyed somebody else's company."  
"So, she was jealous of Logan."  
"In a way, yes. You see, before he came along, she... had me all to herself. I was so absorbed by her, so clung to her... after a long time, I realized she had her way of using me. In her mind, she loved me... just in a very possessive way."

The raven-haired excused himself and went for a refill of his chamomile. As he prepared it, he was thinking about the things he said. What did Elvira think of all this? She didn't talk much. He wished he didn't bore her with his emotionality. Of course, she asked him to tell her, but maybe she was just being polite. In the movies, she did find some things cheesy, after all.

He went back and greeted her again. He went on telling his story.

"Anyway, a lot of things happened... in general, she used every bit of the things she knew about me to her own interests. I was hurt by the way she tried to manipulate me, the games she played with my mind and my heart. In the end, I found out she... allured other men too, to be her little puppets. She needed to satisfy her arrogance so bad, she ended up being an ugly, manipulative and hollow creature. Everything I ever felt for her, died in the bitterest and most painful way."  
"How did you deal with it?"  
"I couldn't be around her anymore. Not even in the same neighbourhood. I couldn't stand the sight of her, nor the thought of running into her. Some time after all that stuff, I finally graduated and tried to compose myself. Then, more time passed, and I finally decided to come here."  
"I see."

A minute or two passed in silence and Sergei typed first.

"So... what are you thinking of?"  
"The things you said."  
"How do you feel about them..?"  
"It doesn't matter."

Sergei got confused.

"Okay..."  
"What matters is, you are here now. There is no use of mourning about what you have lost, or the pain that you felt. They say, when a door closes, another one opens. Or, when life gives you lemons, you make lemon juice. Whatever."  
"Yes... you are right. Did I tire you with all this?"  
"Of course not. If you feel better after opening up like this, then I am glad to be here."

Sergei's lips curled into a smile. He felt better indeed.

"I am glad too. I would be more glad if you were actually here."  
"That is something that can be arranged," she typed, leaving a wink emoticon in the end, surprising the blushing man.  
"Do you mean...? Coming here?"  
"Yes."  
"Oh..." he froze as he was about to take a sip from his mug, a bliss building in him slowly.  
"Don't you want me to?"  
"I do! I mean, it is a great idea but you don't have to get in trouble. You probably work early tomorrow... I don't want to distract you."  
"You won't. I was the one who suggested it. And I intent to get there."  
"Why?"  
"I have a car, you don't. And... it would be interesting to see your apartment. You have seen mine," she left another wink.

Sergei blushed again, not sure if it was caused by her possible intentions, or the fact that he would see her again.

"You are right. Logan is out, after all. Take your time, let me know when you get here."  
"Will do."

Once they both logged off, he jumped off the couch and rushed into tidying up the place, changing into fresh clothes and lighting up a candle or two. Elvira came over shortly and the doorbell rang. He let her in the building and waited for her at his doorstep. When the elevator doors opened, his jaw dropped by her stunning appearance. She wasn't dressed formally as the other times he saw her, but she was as astonishing as always. At least, that's how he felt.

They exchanged smiles and she approached him, whispering softly "hello, you." She went for a kiss but he embraced her warmly, burying his face in the crook of her neck and taking in her fragrance. He held her like that for a few moments, then he planted a soft kiss in her lips. She stroked his hair, then he moved aside and led her in his apartment. She explored the place with her eyes, processing everything that got her attention. She could easily guess which stuff belonged to which one of the two friends.

"Wine?" Said Sergei, as he held out two glasses.  
"Sure."

He poured some and sat on the couch, next to her, then handed her the second glass. She took it and held it slightly extended towards him.

"To making lemon juice."  
"Huh? Oh..!" Sergei slightly got confused at first, then he remembered what she had told him earlier during their chat. She chuckled by his reaction.  
"To making lemon juice, then." They clung their glasses.

The rest of the evening passed pleasantly, as the couple spent time together talking and flirting. Later, they watched a movie together, Elvira being in Sergei's arms. Occasionally, they would exchange sweet words and intimate gestures, caressing each other, kissing, and sometimes making out. Elvira was eager to take this to the bedroom, and she would have it, though not exactly in the way she imagined it.

At some point in the night, they kissed and kissed, then Sergei gently lifted her and silently walked her to his bed. He laid her there. Then, he lighted a few candles and put on some relaxing music. He returned to his beloved's side and just laid there with her. He didn't undress her and he didn't advance to any other actions. He just planted gentle kisses on her lips and her neck, as he held her close. He caressed her here and there, and at some point, she urged him to take this further. His body ached for her, but he didn't want to. He wanted to get drunk in her sight, her reactions and the feelings that filled him. There was nothing more sensual to him, than to have her melt in his arms, as they both ached for more.

Time passed slowly. He treated her like she was a godess to him and passion built in her slowly but fiercely. He caressed her body, but never reached for her center of lust. That drove her crazy. She attempted to take control of the situation but he cut her off, holding her hands beside her, interlocking fingers, driving her even crazier. With nothing more than each other's warmth and their lustful thoughts, they continued this game of mind and chemistry, with Sergei leading on. Eventually, he slowly cherished his well-earned prize, getting drunk by the dazing sight of her melting in his arms, using only his imagination, even though he couldn't stop her from finally locking his body into a death grip, as her aching need demanded so. His body might not be satisfied the same way, but his mind wanted nothing more.

Her expression showed she had not experienced such an approach in a long time. During all this time, the room was only filled with the soft sounds of that music player, eventually joined by deep breathing. They didn't talk for the rest of the night (which was about to end in a couple of hours). They leaned into each other and closed their eyes, just laying there in bliss.


	9. Festive preparations

Days passed by quietly since that special night of Sergei and Elvira. In that period of time, they kept seeing each other whenever they could. Most times, they would enjoy one or two glasses of wine at home or at one of Elvira's favorite bars, Banzai Lounge. It was a place of higher class than where Sergei and Logan used to hang out, and usually it was crowded with people of higher wealth and fame than the average. Even some of the city's elite could be spotted there, but they would always choose to socialize in the VIP room. The decoration was of Japanese style and Sergei grew fond of it, in time. He usually did not find such expensive and popular places to his liking, but a switch from the watering holes to lounges was something that turned out to be refreshing. After all, Elvira had friends in that place and they could easily gain access to it, something that kind of made the young man feel "cool."

Logan, on the other hand, would take his friend's classy hangouts lightly and would humour him, as always. Whenever Sergei was out, the blond would seize the opportunity and invite over his playful company, Alice, for a private party, or he would just spend his evening at his favorite bars, Eugi's and Waylon's Haunt.

Winter had settled in for good and people were preparing for the upcoming holiday of Christmas. The whole city was "dressed" in the festive spirit. Lights and happy colours decorated almost every house, every store, every bar and every park. Bridgeport Acres was especially decorated with festive colours and all the upcoming holiday events would take place in it. There was a large Christmas tree in the center of it, with lots of colourful ornaments and bright lights around it, and a bringht star on the top of it. The decorations were still not complete, but it was obvious that by the time Christmas and new year's eve came, the result would be splendid.

It was only the first week of December, yet it felt like Christmas was already there. The streets were crowded mostly with families that made their holiday shopping. Children were storming in and out of toy stores, eagerly pointing out what they would ask from Santa as presents, while their parents secretly decided on what would be the best (and in a reasonable price) present for them. Among the crowd's noise, festival music could be heard too, coming from some shops in order to sweeten the customers' mood and invite them to take a look at their goods.

The two friends just finished their music programme for this evening. It didn't last too long, as the place was not that crowded. Most people were out or at home, making all sorts of preparations for the upcoming days. The young men took the chance to relax. After tidying up a bit, Sergei joined Logan at his table, while the blond was finishing his second pint of beer.

"So... what do you want to do now?"  
"Uh... I feel like walking a bit. This place is dead and I wanna see some people." He emptied his pint in a single gulp.  
"Can't say I mind the quiet. I could use some fresh air, though," said the raven-haired.  
"It's decided! Let's get outta here."

They got their weekly payment, took their coats and left the place. They walked towards the city's centre. Sergei kept his hands in his coat's pockets while Logan was acting like a child, cheering and pointing on every festive decoration and ornament that caught his eye. He even sang along at the festival tunes. Sergei rolled his eyes and chuckled.

"I'm glad it isn't Christmas yet. I don't feel like being all covered up in the snow you're going to throw at me."

A ball of fake snow immediately crashed on him from behind. Logan's annoying giggling filled Sergei's ears. The blond spoke mischievously.

"Why would you say that?"

Sergei stood there with a sarcastic smile on his face, as he shook the fake snow off of his coat. "Classic. The gift shops are this way," he said and kept walking.  
Logan followed him closely and as they passed by a truck that had just unloaded a large pile of fake snow, Sergei plainly pushed the unwarned blond in the pile with one hand, without putting much effort to it. Logan happily dived in the pile, screaming dramatically. The truck driver started shouting at them and they rushed out of that street, running and laughing like the puckish children they were once.

They finally got in the shops' area. It was the most crowded place of the city at that moment, though not as crowded as it was earlier in the day. It was evening and the shops wouldn't be open for much longer. Nevertheless, taking a look of the goodies through the shop windows was all the two friends wanted for now. At some point, they stood outside a toy store and took a glance of the displayed stuff.

"What kind of presents did you wish for, when you were a boy?" asked Sergei.  
"You know, the usual stuff... trucks, cars, video games... boys' stuff," responded Logan, as he eyed a train toy. Sergei smirked.  
"_Boys' _stuff? So, you never wished for something - let's say - fluffy and warm, or a music box."

Logan's expression turned awkward and smirked. "No...?"

Sergei patted him on the shoulder and spoke with a grin on his face, as he walked away towards another store.

"Don't worry. I'll make sure you get that blue teddy bear you've been staring at the whole time."  
"Heyyy!" Logan blushed and simply followed Sergei, mumbling excuses to the amused raven-haired.

Time passed and they eventually reached that old place of the city that Sergei had visited before. He was immediately filled with warm emotions at the thought of that brooch he had gotten for Elvira. It had gotten late and the stores were closed now but the friends took a stroll anyway. The festival lights were still on and they provided the old buildings with an almost fairytale-like sense. It was quiet and beautiful. It was the first time the two friends visited that part of the city together.  
Sergei led Logan to the store he had gotten that brooch from.

"So, uh... is that the place?" asked Logan as he checked out the store's window. It was displaying some objects which were dimly lighted.  
"Yes... hm. I don't see a brooch similar to the one I bought. Maybe it was one of a kind."  
"It _was_ something else," said Logan, then he chuckled. "Are you gonna give it to her?"

Sergei lowered his gaze and touched the shop's window lazily. "I don't know. I would like to."

"Why not?"  
"Well... I keep it for something special. Well, Christmas _is_ special and it is a nice chance for me to give her my first real present, but... I had something else in mind for it."  
"Like what...? Are you gonna wait until you propose or something?" said the blond in a humorous and slightly ironic way.  
"No...? I was going to wait for Valentine's day or something. Or for her birthday," said Sergei, still keeping his gaze low.

Logan approached him with a smile and rested his hand on his shoulder.

"Valentine's day is over two months away from now, her birthday even more. I am just saying, don't wait too long. It is still early but you can never know how things are eventually gonna turn out. Give her something to remember now that you can," he said, then patted him friendly.  
Sergei raised his gaze and smiled.  
"You are right."

They walked a bit more and reached the closest subway entrance. Logan buried his hands in his pockets and made bouncy moves, clearly affected by the cold and humidity.

"It is kind of chilly, isn't it?" said the raven-haired.  
"Yeah... I would kill for some hot beverage right now."  
"We should go home. After all, we've got some decoration to do."  
"Now? It's almost 10 pm!"  
"What do you have to do?"  
"Right..."

Finally, they got home. The moment they entered the apartment, Logan dropped his jacket on the couch and rushed in the bathroom for a nice and warm shower. Sergei picked it up and hung it on the coat hanger, along with his own coat. He headed towards his room to change. After a while, Logan got out of the bathroom and found Sergei decorating the living room, here and there.

"Couldn't help yourself, could ya?"  
"...what? I am just earning us some time," said Sergei with a raised eye-brow.  
"Do your thing. I am helping with the tree," said the blond, then he headed to the couch and collapsed on it. He was laid back with his face upwards, staring at the ceiling, when a christmas bell was tossed on him, hit his head on the side and fell down. He produced an annoyed groan.

"I am not doing all the work alone. Move your ass."

Logan rolled his eyes and snorted, as he got up and dragged his steps towards Sergei.

"I didn't ask for it..! It is late, I am tired, I just had a shower and I wanna relax," he complained in a childish manner.  
"It isn't any good if we keep procrastinating. Let's get over with it."

They decorated the apartment and left the tree decoration for the end. Now they had it set in place and were about to place the ornaments and lights on it. It was almost midnight. As they were hanging the ornaments on the tree, they talked.

"So, are you getting a present for Alice?" asked the raven-haired.  
"Yep," answered the blond, plainly.  
"Oooh. What is it going to be?" said Sergei with a smirk.  
"Well... let's say it's gonna be a present for me too, and we are gonna make good use of it," said Logan, then winked at his friend.

Sergei's expression turned ironic. "Underwear? Really?"  
Logan chuckled and kept decorating higher, now stretching up.

"What? It's something nice and pretty and we are both gonna make some fun of it, together. After all, we are not close enough for those... romantic brooch things!"  
Sergei smirked. "Agreed. Whatever suits you, guys."  
"...and, it is a festival set! I am gonna wait for my _own_ Santa, if you know what I mean," said Logan, making silly playful moves.  
"I don't _want_ to know," responded Sergei in an intentionally mannered shocked tone. They laughed.

They were done with the ornaments. Now the only thing that was left to do was placing the star on the top of the tree. Logan hastingly took it in his hands with excitement. It was obvious that this was the best part for him.

"Hmm... you're gonna need something to step on," said Sergei, as he looked at the top of the tree.  
"What..? I am tall. I don't need it!"  
"You're not _that_ tall."  
"Watch me."

Logan attempted to reach the top of the tree but during his climbing, the tree leaned on him and he almost dropped some of the ornaments on the floor.

"Stubborn, as always," commented Sergei.  
"Why the hell do we have such a huge tree anyway?" said Logan with an irritated expression.  
"Well, it fills the room. Christmas is only once a year, let it show for good."

Logan snorted and went to his room. After a while, he came back holding a short stool, in a quick pace. He placed it near the tree and stepped on it.

"Oh, wait! I like this moment! Hang on a sec!"

He quickly got down and rushed into his room again, leaving Sergei with a surprised expression. Then he came back, holding a festival cap, the one in Santa style. He handed Sergei a camera and put the cap on.

"There. Take me a photo while I do this!"  
"Oh dear..." said Sergei with a grin, as he turned on the camera.  
"What? I want to send some pictures to my family!"  
"Okay."  
"Just make sure the stool doesn't show..."

Sergei broke in laughs. "Once more, you can't be helped."  
Logan rolled his eyes and giggled. Then, he posed on the stool, placing the star on the tree's peak with one hand, and giving a "thumbs up" with the other, his face bearing a wide and almost childish grin. Sergei took two shots and handed the camera to the blond. The latter checked it out with enthusiasm, then spoke vividly.

"That will do. Thanks!"

They rested. Some time passed and they were both laying back on the couch, both extremely sleepy. The TV was on, in a very low volume. They didn't really watch the show but it worked as some kind of a lullaby for them. Eventually, Sergei broke the monotony.

"So, is any of your relatives coming for the holiday?"  
"Huh? Huhhh... I don't know. My dad may pass by."  
"Haven't you thought of going at their place? To celebrate with the family?"  
"Nah. I do this every year. Now, my pal is here and we're gonna celebrate like bros."

They exchanged smiles, then fist-bumped each other.

"What about you? Aren't you gonna head back for some family time?"  
"Hmm... I don't feel like going back home yet. After all, my parents are probably gonna travel somewhere, now that I am absent."  
"...and Elvira is _here._" Logan smirked to Sergei and the latter smiled shyly.  
"Well, yes. That too."

Some minutes of silence passed. Logan spoke first, this time.

"Now that it occurred to me, what happened with that e-mail guy? The one who wanted to work with us? Have you talked to him yet?"  
"Yes. He said that he still had to take care of some things. He has a project going on for now and he should be ready after the holiday. We have arranged a meeting for then."  
"Oh... okay."

The rest of the night passed by quietly. Once again, as Sergei was lying on his bed, he held that brooch in his hand and pictured in his mind the moment he would give it to Elvira, under the right circumstances etc. At some point, the thoughts turned into dreams and drifted him away in peacefulness.


	10. Merry Christmas

Two days were left until Christmas. During that time, the whole city was dressed in white, as the winter came hard on them this year. It was beautiful, though. Especially the city's parks. Butterfly Esplanade was a sight to marvel at, all covered up in snow. So was Bridgeport Acres, maybe even more so, now that it was all decorated according to the festive spirit. The huge Christmas tree was standing tall and beautiful, with all the bright lights and colourful ornaments on and around it. In these days, that park was always crowded, as people came with their friends or families to enjoy the whole scenery. There were even some minor events that took place there, preparing the citizens for the real thing, Christmas, and then, welcoming the new year.

The door was shut. Logan was struggling to carry a heavy pack of drinks to the kitchen, trying not to miss his step on the way (as the way he was holding it, was preventing him from having a full-sight view). He left the pack on the counter with a groan. Then he leaned on the counter, supporting himself with one hand, while sweeping the sweat away from his forehead with the other. He puffed out with satisfaction, as he looked at the pack. "That's a lot of eggnog," he thought.

He started placing the bottles in the fridge. Once he was done, he grabbed a small bottle of cocoa milk and hurryingly closed the fridge door, then headed to the living room and nonchalantly landed on the couch. He turned the TV on. His favorite show was about to start. He happily leaned back while opening the cocoa milk bottle, then took a sip. His face expression slightly twisted with displeasure. He looked at the bottle and rolled his eyes. He sealed it again, shook it up and down and opened it. He took another sip and grinned.

Some time passed and Sergei entered the apartment, walking in a quick pace. He was obviously in a hurry.

"Hey."  
"Hey."  
"Is everything okay?" asked the blond, still looking at the TV.  
"Yeah... have you seen my coat?" asked the raven-haired, hurryingly searching among the coats and jackets on the hanger, then moving on to other possible places he could have left it.  
"Which one?"  
"The black one."  
"All your coats are black," said Logan with a sarcastic smirk.  
"The _velvety_ black one," said Sergei as he rolled his eyes, "the one I was wearing the night we met Elvira."  
"Oh... that..."  
"Well?"  
"What?"

Sergei stood in front of the TV. Logan protested while shifting his position on the couch, in order to see better.

"What the hell, man! I haven't seen your stupid coat!"  
"Is that so?" replied Sergei, raising an eye-brow. "Oh well."

He went into Logan's bedroom as the blond indifferently kept watching the show. After a while, Sergei came back with an expression of both irritation and sarcasm, holding his coat which was folded in a less than tidy way.

"You were saying...?"  
"Hey, you found it!"

Sergei looked at the silly-grinning blond with a dead serious look, though he couldn't help being hilarious in the eyes of his mischievous friend.

"Why was my coat in your room?"  
"Ohhh, that one... yeah..."

Logan giggled as he watched the irritated raven-haired holding the coat with one hand, the other one resting on his waist, with a raised eye-brow and tapping his foot on the floor.

"Well?"  
"You kinda act like my mom, man."

Sergei rolled his eyes with an even more upset expression.

"It's nothing, I just borrowed it... I went to Plasma 501 again with Alice and I wanted to put on something more... gothic-like, the stuff you wear now and then. So, yeah."  
"You went to Plasma without me?" asked Sergei in a surprised tone.  
"Well, yeah... you were at that lounge. You don't mind me borrowing your coat, eh? Bro?" said the blond, giving his best innocent expression.  
"As long as you didn't spill anything on it," said Sergei as he turned to walk towards his room, then paused. He looked at the coat, then at Logan. Then, he smiled.

"It's going to be a pretty chilly Christmas. You should get your own coat."  
"Eh. I guess."

Sergei carried on walking to his room still smiling.

The next day came soon. It was Christmas' eve. The streets were practically in chaos, being more crowded than ever. People were doing the last shopping of these days and the air was full of noises and excitement. A good three hours passed before Sergei could finally get home, after his own last shopping and preparations for the upcoming day.

He entered the house in a nervous pace, almost banging the door behind him. He found Logan in the kitchen, as the blond was eagerly stuffing his face with small chocolate pieces with liquor stuffing. He paused at the sight of the raven-haired, as if being caught doing something he wasn't supposed to, and grinned at him. Sergei looked at him with a surprised expression and greeted him, while heading towards his room, carrying a package. Logan's voice caught him from the other room.

"What is that?"  
"Uhh..." Sergei responded while hurryingly putting the package away in a safe spot in his room, "nothing. Well, a little _something_ but it's not the time yet."  
"Oooh...!" Logan placed some tart on a plate and took it along, as he headed to the couch. "Another gift for Elvira?"  
"Nope. You shall see."

Logan paused for a moment, suddenly letting the room be filled with silence as his greedy chewing sounds were not noticeable before. His face took a comical excited grinning expression with wide-open eyes. "Is it for me?"  
Sergei looked at him with a sarcastic face and indicated his teeth.

"You really shouldn't grin with a stuffed mouth."  
"So, it _is_ for me," exclaimed the blond. Sergei rolled his eyes.  
"What a child you are. I already got you a present."  
"Fine." Logan responded with a carefree, cute expression and got all over his tart again.  
"I assume you got something for me too...?" said the raven-haired, with a raised eye-brow.  
"How could I forget my pal?" responded Logan with a fake upset face.  
"Just checking," said Sergei while smiling, "you _do_ have a tendency to procrastinate."  
"Whaaah? I don't! Okay, I do. But I didn't." Sergei chuckled.

Later, Sergei grabbed a plate of tart too and took a sit next to his dazed friend. The blond's belly really seemed ready to blow up. It was a funny sight, actually. Logan just lied there, lightly stroking his balloon-like shaped stomach. Finally, he managed to mumble in a low tone.

"I don't feel so good..."  
"You shouldn't have eaten that much. How are we supposed to be at tonight's event if you are sick?"  
"Oh... the event... yeah..."  
"Come on, man. We've been preparing for this for days. Why are you so reckless now?"  
"It's Christmas," replied Logan in a both apologetic and complaining tone, "we're supposed to have fun..! I like stuffing my face with candies and stuff, so that's what I -hick- do!"  
"Well, you're messed up." He leaned closer and put a hand on the blond's shoulder. "Is everything alright?"

Logan looked at him with an irritated expression and sat up on the couch. He leaned to grab a small plastic bottle of water on the low table and opened it, then took a few greedy sips and then he talked.

"Um... things are great with Alice. I mean, really great. We have it all figured out, we know what to expect and what not to... thing is... it all goes _too_ well."

Sergei was listening to him carefully, nodding from time to time. Logan continued.

"It's just... I haven't felt this kind of bonding for some time. Sure, we have fun, in silly ways, we do our thing... that's nice, you know?" His eyes met Sergei's. Sergei nodded and smiled.  
"And you are scared."  
"Well, I -" he paused. "Yeah. I guess... I haven't shown anything like that to her and I don't know if... she feels that way too. You know. Sometimes she doesn't let me in. I wanna know more about her but she just... she changes the subject."  
Sergei's expression changed to melancholic and he lowered his gaze for a moment. "Elvira does that too..."  
"Isn't it... you know...? Doesn't it suck? I mean, we could have something good goin' on here... and she doesn't seem to trust me. You know, I'm not good at that stuff. I wanna do something nice for her."  
"I know..." responded Sergei, rubbing friendly his friend's shoulder, as his gaze drifted away in the room, along with his thoughts of his own situation.

After some moments of silence, Logan snapped out of his darkened mood and spoke with a vivid voice as he patted his friend on the back.

"Anyway! It's almost Christmas. Not a good day to act like some chicks in a soap opera, right? After all, we've got a party to attend! Twice the reason to cheer up!"

Sergei smiled warmly.

8:00 pm. The event had started. Bridgeport Acres was fabulous indeed. Snow had fallen widely all over the park, as the colourful lights were glowing softly on it. People where gathered here and there, talking about the holiday and their plans of it. The crowd was mostly consisted of young adults, couples, groups of friends, a few elder people and even less families, as this day is usually considered a time to spend with relatives at home. There were a few candy sellers here and there, as well as stands that sold festive drinks, and a choir was singing christmasy songs on the stage. A sense of excitement and festivity was in the air.

Sergei and Logan arrived shortly after the event's start. When they got out of the cab, along with Alice, Logan cheered in an excited and childish manner. They headed to the park as they talked.

"So, is Elvira and the _Hellocks_ gonna be there too?" started the blond.  
Alice laughed at the mannered mention of the Hemlocks. Sergei shook his head smiling and replied.  
"Morrigan's at home with her family. We're going to meet Elvira and two friends of hers."  
"Elvira has brought _friends_? I am shocked," said dramatically Logan, in a comical manner. Sergei chuckled.  
"Why? She is a sociable person."  
"Uh-huh. Hey look! Eggnog!" He attempted to reach the stand but Sergei pulled him back to his place.  
"You've messed up your stomach enough today. After all, we've got tones of it back home."  
"Okay, dad," responded the blond with a puppy-like expression. Alice giggled and pulled him in a deep kiss.

Eventually, they spotted Elvira. She was sitting on a bench with a drink in her hand, relatively far from the choir and the Christmas tree. Sergei momentarily felt a chill running down his spine, as he eyed her beautiful figure and her carefully selected winter clothing. Her thighs were exposed, though she didn't seem to mind the cold. Red colour suited her well, from her impressive woolen coat to her astonishing lips. Then, his gaze fell on the two men beside her. The one he knew, it was William Fangmann. He had not seen him since the first time the two friends met Elvira's group that night, at that bar. The tall, bold man was dressed up somehow too lightly for a snowing day but it was no wonder really, with all that muscle on him.

Then, Sergei looked at the other man. An unpleasant sensation hit him instantly at the bold, dark and intimidating sight of him. He was tall and well-shaped, like William, but of more charming features. He was dressed in black, wearing a noticeable blazer and a black scarf around his neck, black pants and fine shoes. His hair was also black, making a fair contrast with his light skin. His eyes sparkled with a cold shade of grey, while the distant lights reflected in them in a most breath-taking way. He was slightly unshaved and his face characteristics were remarkably handsome. Someone might say that his looks were as devilishly attractive for women as were Elvira's for men.

Logan's excited voice interrupted the raven-haired's thoughts parade, as the group had reached them.

"Heyyyy! What's up, guys? Haven't seen you for a while," exclaimed the blond, as he warmly shook hands with Elvira and William. "It's a shame!"  
"Indeed," responded Elvira, bearing her always charming smile. "Nevertheless, it is good to gather here, in such an occasion."

She turned to Sergei, smiling even more widely and catching him in his almost obvious puzzled state. He approached her with a made up smile and hugged her, burying his face in the crook of her neck. As they stayed like this, Logan and Alice had a small talk with the others. Elvira gave a peck to Sergei, then turned to the rest of the group.

"This is Vladimir Schlick. He is a very gifted man in his line of work, and a good friend of mine," she said, as she indicated the handsome man.

Vladimir smiled and shook hands with Logan and Alice, saying in a low and bass voice "how do you do," as Logan responded shaking his hand vividly with enthusiasm. Then, he turned to Sergei, who was standing there the whole time without moving. The moment his lucent, ice-cold grey eyes met Sergei's grey-blue ones, the raven-haired felt an intense chill spreading all over his spine, to the rest of his body. It was anything but pleasant. He tried to silence his familiar, irrational tendency of avoiding people, as he faked a smile and extended his hand to Vladimir, friendly.

"It's a pleasure to meet you."

Vladimir's smile widened in an almost devilish manner, as if knowing his presence was disturbing to the introverted young man. At the top of it, he seemed to enjoy it. At least, in Sergei's insecure mind.  
Vladimir shook Sergei's hand firmly. "Likewise."

"Should we stand closer to the tree? All the good stuff's there!" said Logan, eagerly looking at the candy stand.  
"It is, but it's too crowded and noisy. I thought this was a good spot to chat a bit," said Elvira.  
"We could check the place out for a while, if it's alright with you guys, and we'll join you later," said Alice, leaning closer to Logan, then he rested his arm around her shoulders.  
"Of course," said Elvira, as the others nodded, save for Sergei, who preferred to have his friend close, should he have these feelings of awkwardness and insecurity again.

Sergei, Elvira and Vladimir shared a bench, while William preferred to stand. Elvira discussed with her group about several common interests of theirs, while Sergei simply took sips of his drink now and then, pretending to follow the conversation, but in reality overthinking again. He occasionally looked at Vladimir and tried to understand how a man of his features and a woman like Elvira are not together. They seemed so alike in so many ways. Their moves and body language were indicating friendship indeed, though their chemistry in the group was obvious so far. He wondered if they were ever together and it didn't work out, but they decided to stay friends anyway. Then, he wondered if Vladimir courted her but just wasn't her type (for it was hard to imagine that a man like Vladimir never attempted any advances on her, really).  
At some point, Vladimir spoke to the raven-haired and he snapped out of his inner dialogue.

"So, Sergei, is it? What are you doing for a living?"  
"Uh... I work at Eugi's with Logan."  
"Hm. Are you guys waiters?" Something in the man's tone seemed bold and almost sarcastic to Sergei.  
"Nope. We play music whenever the bar holds musical events... which is three or four times per week."  
"Ahh... I see."

Sergei gave him a fake smile and nodded, and so did Vladimir. Some seconds of silence passed by and nobody talked. Then Vladimir spoke again.

"So, you play for tips."

A rising anger started building up in Sergei. It was not really about what that man said but about the way he said it. He didn't know if it was all in his mind, or if Vladimir was actually trying to degrade him in discreet.

"No," he said as he widened his fake smile, "not really. We make a stable income out of it."

He turned his gaze to Elvira. She smiled at him as if she had not noticed the ice between the two men. The couple kept looking at each other with that slight smile, then Vladimir's voice interrupted the moment.

"Does the job pay off well?" He asked, as he brought his drink to his lips with a sly expression.  
"It's alright. Apart from the money, the job is a good start for getting deeper into the music industry. We have made some connections."  
"I see," responded the smirking man, adding more fuel to the raven-haired's aggravation.

Sergei lowered his gaze and took a sip of his drink. Then, he slowly got up and stood beside William, pretending he was bored of sitting on the bench and wanted to stretch up. In reality, he just didn't want to share the bench with Vladimir and felt better as he looked at him from a higher level, and that spot was the furthest of him. He was still close to Elvira, though.

The conversation went on for a few more minutes and eventually Elvira and Vladimir stood up too. The group moved to a spot which was a bit closer to the center of the park. They were watching the tree when Logan and Alice returned. Alice was holding a camera, obviously browsing through the photos she and Logan had taken, while the blond was holding a huge, round, colourful lollipop, licking it eagerly.

"What did we miss?" asked Logan, in his usual playful tone.  
"Nothing much," replied Sergei with a half smile.  
"Sergei here was describing to me the nature of your job," said Vladimir with a grin. "Suits you well."  
"Really? Why, thank you!" said Logan with a warm smile.  
"Yeah. Two artistic friends, chasing their dreams in the city of opportunity. A humble job, pays the bills, but hey... the modest way is the decent one, right?" said Vladimir in a wide smirk, almost half giggling at the last words.

Logan momentarily glanced at Sergei with a raised eye-brow, and found him bearing a mannered smile, as if saying "yeah, I know."  
Right after that, he chuckled and responded vividly.

"Screw the decency, I just work there for the free beer!" A short wave of chuckles spread among the rest of them.  
"So, how do _you_ pay your bills, _Vlad_?" asked the blond, in the exact tone that Vladimir had been using.  
"I work for a bookmaking agency. The most famous one in the city," he answered, bearing a proud smirk.  
"So, you work with gamblers," said Logan in a mannered excited tone. Vladimir looked at him, practically piercing him with his gaze, though the blond just kept bearing his silly excited expression.  
"That's one way to put it." He grinned. "The payment is promising, though. Can't say there's anything to complain for," he said, as he got a golden lighter out of his blazer's pocket, then lighted the cigarette he had placed on his lips before. He did it slowly, and let the agency's icon on the lighter exposed, demonstrating its impressive design. Logan looked at Sergei with an amused grin, as if pointing out Vladimir's ridiculous need for showing off on every chance. The raven-haired smiled discreetly.

After some more time, the group found their way deeper in the park, as they took a stroll in it, discussing about the holiday and the event. Eventually, they ended up near the eggnog stand, fully bathed in the bright lights that decorated the place and the tree. The group shared two benches that formed a corner. Vladimir, Alice and Logan were sharing the one bench, while William, Elvira and Sergei were sharing the other. Vladimir and Sergei were sitting at the edges of the corner.  
The conversation went on with the others, as Sergei caught a moment that Elvira didn't participate in it, so he leaned closer and talked in a low tone.

"Aren't you cold?" He whispered, as he gently rubbed one of her naked thighs.  
"Not really. I can take some cold," she responded with a sweet smile. He smiled back and softly kissed her. When they parted, she whispered.  
"Are you having fun?"  
"Now I am," he said, then leaned in for a kiss again. He momentarily caught a glimpse of Vladimir as he was watching them, then the raven-haired closed his eyes and leaned in a deeper kiss. Elvira welcomed it.

Time passed by and now it was almost midnight. Some people had left, in order to celebrate the arrival of Christmas day with their families back home, while others arrived in groups, to celebrate it in a christmasy hangout. The group stood close to the tree now. They didn't really have much of an option, if they wanted to be spared of Logan's further playful pleads for "memorizing the moment" in his camera. He eagerly took photos of himself with Alice, then with Sergei and then all three with Elvira. Then, the whole group took two or three shots together.

Finally, the clock struck midnight and the choir sang with passion in praise for Christmas day, as the lights shone happily and brighter. Logan suggested they should all move the party to a club but eventually, the group split up. Vladimir and William chose to continue their Christmas night at Plasma 501, as a special event was being held there too, while the two couples went to Eugi's for a cosy celebration.

While Alice and Elvira were chatting and watching the band that played Christmas-themed songs, Logan brought two large beermugs, full of foaming black beer. He passed the one to Sergei and distracted him from his usual thoughtful posture, then Sergei smiled and took the beer.

"Thank you."  
"It's on me," he winked. "This is the first Christmas we spend together! How cool is that?"  
"It is amazing indeed," responded the raven-haired with a warm smile, then he took a sip.  
Logan kept looking at him with his excited smile that gradually became calmer, then leaned closer.  
"Hey. What is it?"  
"What?"  
"Is it the bookmaker?" asked Logan with a smirk, playfully nudging Sergei's arm with his elbow.  
"What about him?"  
"You didn't let that arrogant jerk get to you, right?" He chuckled. "I mean, you saw him. Looking down upon us with his expensive suit and his golden lighter and his money and crap, but he had no better thing to do on a Christmas eve, than go out with a group he is not familiar with, other than one or two friends."  
"It was a blazer."

Logan laughed and teased him, then Sergei giggled.

"Whatever! He was alone and he figured that being an ass to his friends' friends was going to make his day better. That's pitiful on its own."  
"I guess you are right..." said the raven-haired, with his gaze fixed down on his mug.  
"Snap out of it. It's Christmas and you are being miserable again. Silly!" He playfully slapped Sergei's nape. Sergei broke in nervous laughter and they clinked their glasses together.

The blond spoke again.

"Plus, we have these amazing photos now. Sometime in the future, we will browse in the album and laugh at these things."  
"Hmm, yeah," responded Sergei with a sarcastic smirk, "I already see it. Our first Christmas together with our girlfriends, our friends... and _Vladimir_."

Logan laughed.

"Well, if it wasn't for him, who was gonna be the fool of the story?"  
"I can think of one or two alternatives," responded the raven-haired, looking at Logan in a teasing manner. The blond laughed loudly, nudging him with his elbow again.  
"Get outta here!"

The night went on pleasantly. A few hours later, the two friends returned to their apartment to rest, as they didn't want to miss the morning of that lovely day. After all, they would meet their dates again soon, as some gift exchanging would take place, naturally.

Before going to bed, Sergei stood at the doorstep of the bathroom, while Logan was brushing his teeth.

"Logan?"  
"Hmm?" sounded the blond's voice behind the closed door.  
"I want to give you something. I'll be right back."  
"Okay."

Sergei headed to his room. He took something and went back. Logan had finished brushing his teeth and opened the door. His eyes widened as his gaze fell on the wrapped box.

"What is that?"

Sergei did not respond, just smiled and handed over the box. Logan slowly held it and grinned.

"Come on, man. We can do this tomorrow."  
"Tomorrow I'll give you your other gift. This one I got for you the last minute. I wanted you to have it."

Logan looked at Sergei with wide open eyes, then his gaze explored the box again. "It's large," he muttered. He unwrapped it slowly and just let the cover fall. He opened it and paused at the sight of it.

"Well?"

The blond smiled warmly as he emptied the box of the folded black velvet coat, then he unfolded it and his eyes and hands wandered over it.

"You didn't have to." His voice was surprisingly calm.  
"You needed a coat, right? Now you've got one," said Sergei, smiling.  
"Get outta here!" exclaimed the blond, then he excitedly hugged the raven-haired.  
"Careful! You're going to crumple it."  
"Man... you just can't help yourself, right? You had to become cheesy and emotional and stuff, and now I want to get you something nice...er," said the blond as he leaned back in his place, taking in the coat's velvety sensation on his fingers. "This is so fine," he muttered.

Sergei chuckled and patted his friend on the shoulder.

"It's the least I can do, after everything you have provided me with. Merry Christmas, buddy."

Logan smiled and responded in a low tone. "Merry Christmas."


	11. And a happy New Year, Pt1

**I want to apologise for taking so long to post this. I have been going through busy times and several inspiration black-outs. I only decided today how to go on with this one and I think it went pretty good. I decided to make two parts of this, as there was too much to write for only one chapter. I am gonna write the next one as soon as I can. There are still the exam days ahead. Please, leave reviews and tell me what you think. Thanks!**

* * *

It's a chilly winter night. The time is past midnight and a young raven-haired is gazing at the crescent moon, standing on the balcony of that popular lounge that he and his companion chose to spend their Christmas evening. The place had been crowded and noisy and Sergei found that quite discomforting, however he could not deny the fact that he loved Elvira's expression when he gave her her present. He wondered if she would be so enthousiastic at the sight of that brooch as well. Logan's words echoed in his mind about not procrastinating too much about it, but Sergei wanted to check the waters first, see Elvira's reaction at the first present he officially gave her as her romantic partner. She seemed pretty satisfied with those velvety black gloves he gave her. Of course, they were not for casual use. They were of fine quality and long, almost reaching the elbows.

The breeze carried a familiar perfume. He smiled at the sensation, and at the realization of her presence, even if she was behind him. Her voice softly interrupted the silence.

"How are you feeling?"

He turned to face her and embraced her gently.

"Better than ever. The party in there is... fun, but this... is something else."  
"Me and you on the balcony? With the moon's dim light? How classic," she teased. He widened his smile.  
"Hmm. 'A hopeless romantic' you called me. Shouldn't be surprised," he responded in the same tone.

She cupped his face with both hands and pressed his nape, bringing his lips on hers greedily. She lured him into a slow, lingering kiss and the raven-haired welcomed the dazing sensation. She deepened the kiss over time and they started breathing in a heavier manner. He moved to the crook of her neck and kissed her softly, as she caressed his face. At some point she whispered.

"Not so shy now, are we?"  
"Never said I was shy," he whispered with his lips still brushing on her skin, "only difficult."  
"Difficult? Is that so?" She laughed. "Is this some kind of challenge I'm unaware of?" she asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.  
"It sounded better in my head," he said as he looked elsewhere in an awkward way. Elvira chuckled. She held his chin and made him look at her.  
"Play all you want, my dear, but you're playing in _my_ court," she said softly with a devilish smirk.

For a moment, Sergei was speechless and not sure how to react. He couldn't tell if it was his lack of confidence in such cases, or the fact that he really liked that, to his own surprise. She locked lips with him again, in a softer and warmer kiss now. They stayed like that for a few seconds, then they parted slowly.

"I had a nice time in there," said Sergei with a warm smile.  
"So did I," responded Elvira in a low tone.

They enjoyed each other's company for a while longer, then they left the lounge. They took a walk in the brightly lit streets, as they continued their chat.

"Remind me, what were your plans for New Year's Eve?" asked the raven-haired.  
"I am throwing a party at Plasma 501. I have booked the whole place for that night."

Sergei's expression turned surprised as he widened his eyes. He already knew Elvira was in a good financial state and he never thought about it much, as money was definately not the reason he was with her, but now he found himself wondering about the size of her wallet.

"Wow... that must have been expensive," he said between nervous giggles.  
"It was. But I know someone who knows someone," she said with confidence, bearing a smirk. "After all, such events don't occur every day, do they?"  
"No, I guess not."

She looked at him and he smiled as their eyes met.

"You know you and Logan are invited. You are welcome to bring whoever you wish."  
"I already picture Logan's reaction to that..."

"WHAAAT? THAT IS SO AWESOME!" exclaimed the blond with a considerable amount of enthousiasm. He jumped off the couch, causing Sergei to almost spill his chamomile.

"Careful!"  
"This is so cool! I'm gonna bring Alice, a couple of guys from Eugi's, some fellows we met at Bridgeport Acres and-"  
"Ah-ah-ah!" interrupted Sergei, sealing the blond's mouth with his hand. "Careful now, buddy. This is going to be a private party, I don't want us to make fools of ourselves. Bring Alice and another fellow, but we are going to be discreet."

Logan sat down and let his shoulders fall, bearing a disenchanted expression.

"Why do you always have to spoil it? She said-"  
"Snap out of it." He chucked. "After all, it's gonna be so crowded already."  
"Ah. _That_ explains it," said the blond, eyeing Sergei up and down in an irritated manner.

Sergei chuckled again. After a few moments of quiet, Logan asked in a low tone.

"Is Mrs Spiteful gonna be there too?" Sergei broke in laughs.  
"Well, of course. She is Elvira's best friend. You have to bear with that."

Logan responded with a sarcastic "mmm," then leaned back and talked in his usual vivid tone.

"Well! A party is still a party, right?"  
"I was certain."

The days passed quietly within the festive spirit. The two friends contacted their families and received presents from them, while Logan's father paid them a short visit the day after Christmas. Sergei could see now where Logan got that rich, golden-like hair from, as well as the cheerful spirits. Logan's father was a simple and easy-going man, adding a warm atmosphere to the apartment that day. He even brought them a homemade tart of their family recipe, Logan's favorite. His mother never missed a chance to send him such desserts. It was nice.

Sergei talked to his parents too. As he had guessed right, they spent their wintery holiday in a trip to another country. Norway was their christmasy resort now. Videocalling brought to him warm, familiar feelings of such occasions, even with Logan teasing him in his usual mischievous way, in front of the camera.

New Year's Eve arrived. The city's lights were shining bright once more, as events were being held in various places of the city, though most people were at home, spending time with their family.

Sergei was fixing his blazer when Logan cheerfully jumped in the bathroom, slamming the door open.

"Sergio! Look! Am I a freakin' badass in this velvet coat or what?"  
"Yes you are. You also have freakin' bad manners!" exclaimed Sergei as he kept on fixing his blazer.  
"Well I didn't catch you in a funny situation, did I? That settles it!" said the blond vividly, then patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the bathroom with a happy expression, as the raven-haired rolled his eyes.

When they were ready, Sergei stepped out of the bathroom too, then took a look at Logan. It was the first time the blond was dressed in the dark style that only Sergei used for himself so far, and it surprisingly suited the mischievous man.

"Cool, huh? Me likey," said Logan in a "like a boss" tone.  
"It seems to like you too," said Sergei with a smile.  
"I think the ladies are gonna agree on that," said the blond with a mannered voice, looking at his reflection on the mirror.

Sergei chuckled and patted him on the back as he talked.

"Come, now, we have to get Alice."  
"Let's go then!"

After a while, they arrived at the club. It was crowded but not as much as usually. It seemed Elvira had a wide range of circles she associated with, most of them being dressed in that dark and fine style that the club followed too. There was a band that played on, and the stage was already crowded. The two friends and Alice greeted some people on the way to the table that Elvira and her group of friends were. She greeted them from a short distance, then each of them took a sit on the wine-red, velvet couch. In the group were also Morrigan and her husband, Wogan. Elvira and Morrigan both looked gorgeous that night, and the men of the company were dressed in fine suits.

They had to bring some chairs in order for everyone to make themselves comfortable at that table. Sergei sat next to Elvira, as she greeted him with a peck on the lips. Logan cheerfully greeted everyone, eventually getting to Hemlocks too. He warmly shook hands with Wogan, while the well dressed man responded likewise, then the blond turned to Morrigan and she avoided reaching his hand, greeting him only with a sarcastic smile.

"Lookin' good, Morri," said Logan with a grin.  
"Wish I could say the same," she responded with a wider grin.  
"Aw well! Not everyone has the luxury of using youth elixirs!"

For a moment she froze with her jaw almost hanging, then she narrowed her eyes and nailed him with a hateful gaze, as he mischievously grinned. He winked at her and simply sat on Alice's side, avoiding any possible reaction of Morrigan. Alice was talking with William at the time, then she turned to her lover and the blond pulled her in a kiss, in an almost demonstrative manner.

Time was passing pleasantly for most members of the group. Logan and Alice moved their party to the dance floor along with William while Sergei, Elvira and the Hemlocks were still at the table. Elvira was having a discussion with her best friend, while Sergei listened to Wogan talking about several stuff regarding his routine, pretending to be interested in listening to all that. Wogan didn't seem to have the time of his life either, and it was more than obvious that he was at that party for the sake of his wife.

At some point, Wogan excused himself and headed to the bar while Morrigan just sat quietly in her spot, lighting a cigarette. Elvira turned to her lover and distracted him from whatever thoughts he had.

"I have to admit, this is... impressive," said the raven-haired.  
"What is? The party?"  
"Yup."  
"Does that mean you're actually having a good time?" Asked Elvira in a fake shocked tone.

Sergei chuckled shyly.

"Why wouldn't I?" He smiled warmly. "I'm getting to spend the changing of the year with the people I care about."  
"Hmm," she leaned closely and spoke in a lower tone. "Does that mean we won't get any privacy for the rest of the night?"

Sergei blushed and didn't respond for a moment, actually picturing the outcome of that possibility. His smile widened, as did her grin shortly after. Then, he leaned into a deep kiss.

Morrigan excused herself eventually and headed to the bar, where her husband was. Back on the dance floor, Logan and Alice were still enjoying the vivid dark rythm of the club's music. At some point, Logan and William were dancing side to side and started a chat while doing so. William started explaining to the blond how he came to know Elvira and her peers, how he had gotten in the Law Enforcement and other stuff like that. They had already talked about these in the past but now the conversation was more analytical.

Time passed quickly and after a while, Logan was surprised to notice that Alice was not next to him. He assumed she joined the Hemlocks at the bar. At some point, William ended the chat and went to greet some other friends of his. Logan then headed to the bar upstairs. He found a bunch of people leaning on the counter and didn't manage to catch Alice among them. He spotted the Hemlocks near the bar. They seemed to be arguing, and it was pretty intense. He decided to ask anyway. He headed towards them and caught part of their argument.

"...while I stay home with our daughter all day! And then I have to work! And you say _you're_ the only one that has to make sacrifices?" Wogan's voice was echoing over the club's music on the second floor, reaching higher tones than those he usually spoke in.  
"Oh, for the love of the Goddess, Wogan! I ask of you a simple favor but you _always_ have to link everything to that dramatic nonsense!"  
"Nonsense? _Nonsense_? You know what nonsense is? The fact that I have to bear with those incompetent fools you so proudly call _friends_!"  
"Wogan, are we gonna go through this again?" Morrigan practically spat those words on her husband, bearing a fiery gaze, her eyes glowing bright and threatening.

It wasn't long before they noticed the blond standing there with a numb expression on his face. He spoke in a low tone.

"Uhm... have you seen Alice..?"

Morrigan threw a last angry look at her husband, then walked away from the two men in a hurry. She passed by Logan, completely ignoring his existence, then headed down the stairs. The young man was left staring at her with an expression of wonder.

"What's gotten into _her_...?"  
"Women!" Exclaimed Wogan furiously, then walked past Logan in the same way Morrigan did.

For a moment, the blond watched Wogan leaving the second floor as well. Then he shrugged and simply continued searching for Alice.

Back at the table, Sergei and Elvira had a sweet time going on for a while. Time had passed and the music switched into slow songs, while the lighting was lowered down a bit. The couple headed to the dance floor and embraced each other. As they moved slowly to the sweet rythm, they looked silently into each other's eyes. A familiar memory popped in Sergei's mind, one of the many which tended to keep him from enjoying such moments. This time it was different, though. He found he didn't feel the sorrow of what he lost but the excitement of what he had gained. The realization of that caused him to widen his smile. Elvira caught that and smiled back.

"What is it...?" She asked softly. He simply leaned in and rested his chin in the crook of her neck, taking some of her scent in. Then, he replied in whispers.

"There is nowhere else I want to be right now." Then, he kissed her.

Elvira smiled in his kiss and deepened the pleasure.

Meanwhile, Logan was still searching for his companion. Now he was growing nervous. Alice didn't reply to his text messages and he almost wandered all over the place. Was she lost? Was she hurt? Was she carried away by some insidious man, to be the sport of his ill will?

No, she wasn't. Now Logan silently wished that one of these cases was true. He stood still, clinged onto the open door of the ladies' restroom. His gaze was fixed on Alice, who had practically pinned a man on the wall with her body, eagerly sucking and kissing his neck, while the man bore a dazed expression of what seemed to be pleasure. The blond stood there in shock for some seconds, then a low whisper escaped his lips.

"Alice...?"

She quickly turned her gaze on him, interrupted from what she was doing with obvious dedication. Her eyes were bright and fiery, until she shortly realized who she was looking at. She instantly pulled away from the man, bearing a shocked expression on her face. The man just slid down the wall slowly, being in some kind of stunned state, most likely by the alcohol. Logan didn't really pay any more attention to him, as the subject of his concern was staring at him with guilty eyes.

"What... what is going on? Who's this?" Logan's voice was slightly trembling.  
"I... nobody," responded Alice in a low tone, lowering her gaze on the floor and covering her lips with one hand.

"What do you mean, nobody? Is this what you were doing the last time I lost you in the other club? I'm scared like shit, searching for you, thinking you were hurt and stuff, and this is what I find?" His voice was rising in pitch and volume. The more he spoke, the more rage filled him.

"No! You don't understand! I wasn't fooling around!" Alice tried to answer as composedly as she could, but failed.

"I don't...? Are you mocking me? With my own eyes I see you practically devouring that guy and _I_ am the irrational one?" She tried to talk but he didn't let her. He slowly approached her, blood flowing fast in his veins. His face turned red and he felt an urge of tears forming in his eyes.

"You don't understand! You couldn't possibly understand even if I explained this to you," exclaimed Alice, tears forming in her eyes too. The sense of injustice in Logan reached its peak and he growled at her.

"What the hell is there to explain? I saw you, for God's sake! I thought we had something and you ruined it! Don't you ever try to fool me again!" His throat was sore from yelling and his fists were clenched and shaking. Alice just ran out of the room, weeping, running past Logan with great speed. He didn't even have the chance to grab her arm.

He stood there for some minutes, still not realizing or caring about the fact that he was in the ladies' room. He walked to one sink and washed his face. When he was done, he looked at his reflection on the mirror for a while. Then, a door of one restroom slowly opened and Morrigan walked out. They looked at each other for a second, then Logan tried to compose himself and look cool. Morrigan smirked.

"Did your lovely girlfriend just leave?" Her tone was sarcastic and it fueled a new wave of rage in Logan.  
"Why don't you go find your _lovely_ husband? Maybe he's sick of your spiteful taste and decided to pin a _lovely_ girl on a restroom's wall too!"

Her expression instantly twisted in anger and she paced towards him with rage. Her growling voice echoed through the walls.

"Don't you talk about my husband, you filthy vermin!"  
"You're the one who started it!"

They were growling at each other, causing their voices to grow coarse and sore but they were too furious to care. They were standing with their faces only a breath away, spitting words on each other as the adrenaline pumped fiercely in their veins.

"You think you can mess with me, _worm_? I'll step on you and wipe your sorry existence off of the face of the earth!"  
"Wha-? At least I can argue like a normal person! Who even says these things anymore?"  
"Shut it, rat!"  
"Or what? Are you gonna name _all_ the pests you know of, and bore me to death with that _nonsense_?"  
"DON'T YOU TALK ABOUT NONSENSE!"  
"Right. BECAUSE THAT'S YOUR HUSBAND'S JOB!"

Morrigan's mind exploded with rage. She fiercely grabbed the blond by the hair in an attempt to bring him onto his knees, to impose herself on him using fear. She failed to do so, as he was as stubborn as she was and resisted. While they were struggling with each other, he grinned at the sight of her enraged attempts.

"Ran out of poison, Hemlock?"  
"YOU LITTLE-"

She almost dug her nails in his skin, clenching him fiercely and violently pulled him into a sealing kiss, if that could be considered a kiss. She was raw and tough on him, painfully biting his lips and holding him still with unexpectedly huge force. He was unable to react, though he wouldn't do so anyway, being too shocked to. He didn't see that coming. That connection lasted for only some seconds but it felt like hours. Eventually, she pulled away, still holding him in place with what felt like claws. He was stunned and looked at her with a blank expression. They stood like that in silence for some seconds, then her expression turned angry again and she burst in rage, slapping his whole face with a loud noise that echoed through the walls. He was dazed both by the pain and the shocked state he was in, as she paced past him, storming out of the room furiously.

Logan tried to compose himself, filled with mixed emotions in body and mind. He stood up and thought of what happened. Finally, he let the mixture of confusion and anger come out in a growling sentence.

"WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH WOMEN?"  
"I am wondering the same."

Logan turned to the source of the voice and saw that the man Alice was fooling around with, was back to his senses. The man continued.

"One moment I am this close to have her, the next one I am lying on the bathroom's floor. Must 've been a hell of a night."  
"OH, BITE ME!"

Logan stormed out of the restroom.

He headed to the table. He found William sitting on the couch with a beautiful woman. The blond hastingly pulled out his wallet and left some money on the table.

"That's for my drink."  
"Are you leaving so soon?"  
"You bet I am!"

Logan angrily gathered his stuff and headed towards the exit, when he heard Sergei calling his name. The raven-haired got him in time and stood in the way.

"Logan! What happened? Why are you-"  
"Drop it, man. This is the worst evening ever!"

Sergei looked at him with concern in his eyes and tried to calm him down. At first, Logan resisted, using several excuses but Sergei wouldn't let him go.

"Come on, man. In 15 minutes or so, we will be welcoming the new year. Is that how you want to spend it? Why don't you come sit down and tell me what happened, then we'll figure this out."

Logan looked at him with embittered eyes.

"I'm sorry, Sergio."

He walked out.


End file.
